Gradual Metamorphosis
by Toxi
Summary: Since Marie is living with Stein, she notices all the signifiant changes he's gone through. Stein notices Marie's changes as well. Stein's acting strangely, but has the Kishin awakened more than just his insanity? SteinxMarie. My 2nd fic.
1. Adjustment

Hey~! This is my 2nd fic and I'm still pretty new to the concept. Please be nice, and know that Word's spell checker can be retarded. ^ ^lll I love SteinxMarie, so here ya go~ Please tell me your other SE pairings, as I will want to write them! :D

~Toxi

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The grey clouds hung thick over at Patchwork Laboratory, as they usually did. A thick grey blanket silently hovered over the grey building covered in black stitches. Though aside from its usual gloom, the inhabitants of this abode weren't acting accordingly.

Marie, a Death Scythe sent over to Death City from Australia, was placed as Stein's new partner, and had taken up residence in his house for the time being. Marie and Stein did have a little history together, as Marie once had a crush on Stein back in their school days, but she eventually lost it because he had never advanced in a further relationship.

But things were a little different now that they were living together. Though, this wasn't the Stein she remembered. This Stein was a little jumpier and solitary than the one she remembered. He had always been that sort of person, but now he just seemed to shut himself up in a room and pour out his soul in front of a computer. She missed him; it was like his soul had left the rest of him for most of the day. The actual reason she was sent to keep an eye on him was that the Kishin had been revived, and Stein wasn't sane anymore.

Marie sighed lightly, her head swimming with thoughts as she stirred her coffee gently. She had made sure to put cream and sugar in hers, she couldn't take it black, it hurt her stomach afterwards, and she wouldn't eat the rest of the day. Stein, on the other hand, liked his coffee completely black—no sugar or cream at all. She wondered if that was somehow a metaphor about himself.

She set aside her own cup to cool a bit and picked up his—a beaker lying around—and went to go look for him. The house was drearily dark, which scared her a little. While she had been gone, Stein had morphed into something horrendous—like a cute little animal that became more savage as it grew older. Her white heels clicked loudly in the empty hallways of Stein's house. She squinted her amber eyes that weren't adjusting. Ah! There was the door. She opened it as quietly as she could, but it still creaked.

A maniacal laugher gradually escaped out of Stein's mouth. First it was just a low chuckled through his teeth, but then it grew, his shoulders shaking. His computer screen was bright, which was the only light source in the murky room that smelt of metal and plastic. Marie was horrified to find him like that, laughing insanely at a blank computer screen, holding himself as though he would just break down screaming.

She flicked on the light, breaking his spell. His pupils contracted as he turned around, regaining a rather emotionless and serious expression. "Oh, Marie," he let out softly.

Marie pretended she hadn't seen that. "I brought the coffee you asked for!" She smiled, walking closer to him, and handed the warm beaker of black liquid to him.

"Thank you," he muttered under his breath, taking a sip.

Marie turned around, "Oh, I forgot my own coffee." She giggled, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment, "I'll go get it." She started towards the door, and nearly exited when Stein began to speak, "You saw that…Didn't you?" His voice was low, and grim.

Maybe if she acted oblivious, he'd brighten up. It was a high doubt factor, but maybe. "Huh?" She smiled, "Saw what?"

Stein sank back in his chair, "Nothing. Go get your coffee."

Marie was a little intimidated by his irritated voice, but obeyed him nonetheless. She went back to the meager and uncared for kitchen he had, and retrieved her own coffee—contained in a chipped mug. She retraced her steps back to Stein's office area, and he was busily typing something with excessive speed. His expression was blank, but his fingers kept at it, unfazed when she reentered.

She slinked her way over to a purple sofa she had bought in attempts to give his lackluster house a woman's touch. She sat down quietly with her legs crossed and sipped slowly, her hands cupped around the handless mug. It had been broken off, though had no knowledge as to why. Stein swiveled around in his chair, his grey hair swaying with him. He let out a deep sigh, and reached for his beaker filled with black coffee. He took a large gulp, and looked right at Marie. "Sorry for accusing you like that."

"No, it's fine," She shook her head, "I wouldn't call that accusation."

"No, it's _my_ fault, Marie. I haven't really been able to control myself for a little while now. Because of that, I'm unsuitable to teach, and all I do is sit in her and make you do everything else for me."

Marie blinked. In all the time that she'd known Stein, he wasn't the kind of person to apologize. "Don't be so hard on yourself," She smiled back, taking another sip, "I like being a teacher at Shibusen. And I don't mind all of the housework, either." He let out a small giggle, "I feel like a housewife." She said softly, blushing lightly. "Kind of a lifestyle I've always pursued, but never really lived until now. I think it's me you should be thanking you."

Stein smirked and laughed through his nose, taking another gulp. His coffee was already finished, and Marie wasn't even half-way finished with hers. "A housewife?" For a slight moment, their eyes connected, but Marie flushed a light hue of pink and took another sip of coffee. Stein let out another chuckle and set down his beaker, "If you are, I think you've been slacking. It's kind of messy around here."

Marie smiled again, and set down her mug on a little coffee table beside one of the couch's arms. A moment later, she had taken Stein's beaker in one hand, "Do you want your kitchen cleaned up? It's a little difficult for me to cook in there."

Stein nodded, returning to his computer, watching Marie picking up empty beakers and glasses around the room. His fingers started to move quickly again, gliding all over the keyboard. Marie circled the rooms a few times, picking up several things and moved them to different places, rearranging and organizing as she saw fit. She soon returned to the place where Stein's beaker once was, setting down a pile of books beside his left hand. Stein paused for a moment, gazing at her. "Marie, you've changed. "

"Eh?" She said, a grin forming. "Not really, you're the one who's changed."

"Yes, I'll admit that I've changed significantly, but you have too. It shows."

"R—really?" She stifled a snigger. "How so?"

"You were really adventurous and were always interested in finding a boyfriend as quickly as possible—so you could grow up. I know it's been a while, but you've matured a lot as a woman."

Marie's amber eyes widened and she reddened to a shade of light crimson, but tried to hide it as she quickly stacked up a pile of dirty dishes lying around and said, "I'm off to the kitchen!" Faster than she probably should have.

As she scurried over to the kitchen to drop off the culinary in the less than beautiful sink, she dropped something in the process. Stein obviously heard the thundering crash against the concrete floors and abruptly stood up, and went to investigate. "Marie?" He called, his voice alarmed.

Marie was in the hallway, muttering something about being reckless and was bleeding. There was a pile of stacked dishes beside her, but then there was the evidence of a few shattered ones as well—probably a mug and a plate. She held her hand in pain as the large cut in the center of her left hand continued to bleed. "ugh," She grumbled, "I can't even take the dishes to the sink without dropping one."

She hadn't noticed Stein yet, that is, until she heard his footsteps right before her. She looked up like an innocent child who had done something forbidden. She assumed that if the interior of his house was already in this sort of dilapidated state, he wouldn't mind a few shattered dishes—at least, she hoped so. Stein brushed away the broken pieces with a foot and helped her up, careful of her injured hand. He examined in for a moment, "That cut looks pretty big…I think it might need stitches…"

"Oh," she looked a little saddened, "Really? I'm sorry I—"

"It's fine. The dishes don't matter, your hand does."

_He never doted over me this much, not even when I tried asking him out several times. Why now? Did the Kishin intensify more than just his insanity?_

"You still need to clean the kitchen." He finished, laughing once, and ruined Marie's mood. _I should have figured, it was the kitchen._

"I'll keep up the broken pieces," He said, "You go clean your hand. I've got hydrogen peroxide in a bottle in the back of my lab. It's connected to my office. There are some bandages in there as well. Just call if you need any help." He said with a nod as he knelt down on one knee and started to put the shattered pieces into his hands. Marie agreed and put pressure on her hand as to reduce the bleeding and headed over to his lab, "Sorry I'm bleeding everywhere!" She called back.

"Don't worry about it!" He called back, "There've been messier incidents in here before!"

"Gghk," Marie seized up, remembering that Stein's passion was dissection. Visions of all of the dissections that were required in a health unit at Shibusen came flashing back.

"_Stein, why is there nothing left but skin and bones on that poor bird?" Marie scornfully asked, folding her arms._

_He smirked slyly with a scalpel in hand, "I wanted to see if there was anything that Sensei didn't explain. He left out a lot, but luckily, I learned."_

_Marie held a hand to her nose, "Ugh, I think you ruptured its stomach or something, it smells awful!" She was right, it did smell horrible. And in actually, Stein had ruptured all of its vital organs, in order to 'learn' about them. Every piece of that game bird had been cut up, slices, dismembered or picked apart by the aspiring surgeon. _

"_Marie, it's called learning. I learn by experiences. Textbooks just don't cut it for me."_

"_Apparently!" She said in a rather aggravated tone, tightly holding her nose and covered her mouth, she didn't want the sickening rot smell to inhabit her mouth, which would then float up to her nasal cavities. "Sensei said not to pick apart everything, Stein! You're going to have to clean up all that by yourself."_

"_I know," He replied solemnly, picking up its liver in his white gloved hands. "I'd cut myself open, but all my insides would spill out, and I'd die…I want to cut open something alive."_

Marie shuddered at the thought of him like that. She remembered him being like that all too well. Once he started smoking, it all became worse. If it weren't for Spirit, he probably would be in league with Medusa. Shibusen knew this too, which was the reason they had called back Marie to become the substitute teacher. Of course, they had called other Death Scythes like Justin, Asuza and Spirit because of the Kishin, but they knew that Marie had a calming effect on the erratic Stein, and so she became his new partner, replacing Spirit.

Marie had found a small sink and the hydrogen peroxide as Stein said, but decided she'd look for the bandages later. There was a cabinet with a mirror over the sink. The mirror was shattered, and even little pieces of it were missing. Marie could only wonder what kinds of things were going on his head because of the insanity. He didn't even seem stable anymore.

Marie grumbled lightly in pain as she found the bandages later and doused in the solution, cringing every time the transparent, water-like substance hit her wound, bubbling and fizzing like a pot of soup. Her hand continued to ooze crimson blood into the sink, but at least this time it was just the sink. She was just about ready to apply the bandages when Stein entered, looking a little vexed.

"Oh, I'm fine, Stein," She started, "I found everything just as you said…" She trailed off, her ocher eyes floating down to his own wounded hands. "Stein, your hands—"

"It's nothing," He shirked it off, wiping his hands on his thighs to rid them of blood. "Nothing for you to worry about. I'll take care of myself."

Marie nodded in apology, "Y—yes, sorry."

"Here," Stein offered, picking up the white gauze and started to unfurl it, "I'll help you with that. You're not very good at bandaging yourself are you?"

"Not really," She admitted, "I'm usually not so clumsy…I…" She knew well enough why she was so clumsy, she just couldn't get herself to explain as to why. Stein and changed, and she had fallen for him, and seeing him genuinely care for her made her jumpy. She was in denial, and if confronted, she'd argue that they were just friends.

"That's fine," Stein said softly, applying a thick layer of bandages to prevent infection. "If I was right, you'd probably only need a few stitches anyway. Nothing to freak out about. You can trust me with sewing up your hand right?" He asked her, looking up and smiled rather jokingly at her, his olive green eyes flashing with an emotion quite unfamiliar with his persona.

"I trust you," She affirmed, a small smile growing on her fair face.

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0: HOW WAS THAT!? Atrocious? Why yes, thank you. Review it or I cry. D':


	2. Warning

Hey, next chapter, huzza~ C: I plan to actually have a lot of chapters on this one, 'cause that'd be cool. And SteinxMarie is actually pretty easy to write. Don't forget to tell me your favorite pairings, ja. Thank you for the reviews! w I know my medical knowledge isn't great at all, but I tried. ; c ;

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Stein had sewn up Marie's hand, just like he had promised the day before. It only required three stitches and he informed her of the potential pain that came along with it. Even after the wound had completely healed and the stitches were removed, there was still a chance of some bizarre chronic pain.

Marie knew the risk, but was a little surprised had how gentle Stein was. "I knew you cut things apart, but I didn't know you could put them back together perfectly." Stein had given her a few painkillers and a few shots in her left hand so that it would be numb. Her hand was very loose and floppy, and Marie couldn't control it at all. She was a little alarmed at first, but Stein reassured her it'd wear off in a couple of hours.

Marie had returned home from teaching at Shibusen, it was early evening, and the sun had already set. She heaved sigh as she closed the door behind her, "I'm tired!" There wasn't any reply, but she wasn't necessarily expecting any. She wandered past a few relatively dark hallways and into Stein's office. "Stein?" She called, not seeming him around anywhere. "Stein?" She called again, becoming increasingly worried.

One of the reasons he was always cooped up in doors these days was because he was placed under house arrest. Marie hoped he hadn't left. Maybe he was just in a farther part of the rather large estate, and couldn't hear her calling?

"Stein!"

Loud footsteps quickly echoed in the same hallway that Marie had come from, almost sounding like the speed of someone running. "Stein?" She mumbled, as though asking if that was him. The booming echoes continued until she saw a familiar white lab coat littered with black stitches swoop into the room. His facial expression was tense, and he looked scared, but managed to keep his mouth shut. "Marie," He boomed aggressively, "Show me your left hand."

"W—wha…Why? It's healing perfectly. I—"

"Show it to me."

"But…But why—"

"Show it to me!" He demanded, screaming right at her.

Rather reluctantly, she did so, reaching out and turned over her hand, so the palm was facing upwards. She saw the diagonal slice through her hand, and saw its immensely slow progress at healing. The stitches were the only thing keeping the fresh wound from reopening. He stared at it expectantly, holding her fingertips with his right hand, bending her fingers back to see her entire hand. She winced a little in pain, her hand was still sore.

"What's wrong with it…Stein?" Marie asked gingerly, not really knowing if she wanted to hear what Stein had to say or not. "What's wrong with my hand?"

As if on cue, Marie's wounded hand started to burn, and involuntarily, she started to scream in pain, though there was no visible reason as to why. Stein kept a firm grip on her fingertips, and she couldn't tear away. "It hurts!" She cried, trying her best to keep from crying. "Make it stop!"

Stein did nothing to help her. He just watched her hand. The stitches that he had created started to break, and Marie's newly joined flesh started to tear apart. It opened larger than the original wound was, and now all of her tendons and muscles in her left palm were completely visible. Marie's screams were splitting Stein's ears, but after a while, he tuned them out. It was as though he didn't think of her as a person he knew, just of a hand that started to reject the skin surrounding it. It curled inside out and started to roll away like a caterpillar.

Now the flesh at her wrist started to peel away. "Stein! Stein! Help me!" She wailed, his grip tightened the more she screamed. "S—Stein! My fingers are breaking, stop!"

The snapping and cracking sounds that Marie had foretold had already happened, and Stein's reach had extended to her forearm. He held her in place, so she couldn't flail anymore. All of the skin on her entire left hand had already peeled away; it had fallen to the floor in some dejected heap, looking like a peach and red colored banana skin. Marie stopped screaming, her voice totally soundless. She stopped flailing; only shaking uncontrollably.

Never before had she been able to count all of the metacarpals in her hand. Such small, tiny bones that all functioned as a team to create a working finger. All five fingers worked together in unison to create a functional hand. In that moment, she shared the same interest as Stein did. Marie could move her hand freely now, moving around the small white bones, and observed the fleshy red tissues that enabled her to flex her fingers. It was still bleeding, but not very much. Only a little trickle. Like a little red stream, trailing from her wrist down to her arm and to her elbow.

She stretched out her hand fully, examining the blood vessels clearly. _Chunk_. What was that? She noticed that one of her fingers was missing something. Her dark amber eyes gently floated down. "Oh," She said softly, "I lost a little bone." She smiled manically, having the same sort of laughter that Stein possessed in his fits of insanity.

There were more creaking and squelchy sounds as more little clumps of white and red dropped on the concrete floorings below, and eventually left nothing more than the rest of her left arm, minus her entire hand. Nothing from below her wrist. Nothing at all. Air. She looked up at Stein, her eyes watering. Translucent blue tears fell slowly from her eyes and gently outlined her slightly rounded face. "Stein, I'm missing a hand."

"Gah!" Stein breathed loudly, panting heavily, his heart feeling like a motor in his chest. He was shaking hysterically and he buried his face in his hands. He was sweaty, and was crying lightly. He felt hot and disgusting. Like he was wrapped up in some sort of sticky film—like a frog.

"Stein!" Marie called, rushing towards him, wearing a white cotton robe. "Stein, what's wrong?" She asked him, lifting up his head.

"M…M—Marie!" He called back, his voice choking up. His arms reached out to her and he scooped her up into his embrace, holding the back of her head with one hand, and her torso with the other. "Marie…" He whispered softly, hints of recent crying still traceable in his weakened voice.

Marie felt worried. What had he dreamt about that made him start screaming? What was it that made him cry? The way he was holding her so close to his bare chest made her assume it must have been about her. Or at least she hoped so. In reassurance, Marie's arms soon slid around Stein's torso. He felt warm to the touch. She wondered if he had a fever or something. It was possible.

"Stein," she whispered softly, "what happened?"

"I stitched up your left hand like I said I would, but for some reason it broke apart." His rough breathing started to calm down, and eventually, everything he said was coherent. "Your skin started to peel away, and then your hand started to fall apart. All of the little bones were on the floor. I didn't help you." He buried his face in her hair. "I didn't help you at all. I just broke off your fingertips. It's my fault you're missing a hand, Marie!"

Marie sighed inwardly. His dreams must be completely real to him. "I didn't lose a hand, Stein." She whispered back, "Do you want proof?"

Stein took one hand and traced a line with a fingertip from her left shoulder to her left hand. It was there, it was real. Real flesh, real blood, real bones. It was warm, and soft. Her hand closed on his. She smiled gently and whispered in his ear, "See? It's still there."

Stein heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad. I didn't want to hurt you. It was horrible. I couldn't help you…I just…I just stood there and watched you writhe about in pain."

"That was just a bad dream, Stein. None of that happened." She whispered softly, her voice weak because she was still groggy. "You stitched up my hand like you said, and it's healing. Nothing's wrong with it at all."

Stein paused, changing subjects completely. "Sleep with me." He demanded, his voice firm and unyielding.

"W—what?" Marie squeaked, not tired enough to catch that line.

"I need you here." Stein replied. "I need you. I feel normal when you're around."

Marie agreed, seeing as how Stein wouldn't take no for an answer. He was like a spoiled child, but Marie was quite a pushover when it came to people she liked. She got more comfortable in his rather spacious bed, pulling up whatever blankets where were and pulled them over her legs and torso.

Marie had never noticed, but apparently he slept shirtless. Maybe he had just adapted to the frequent 'nightmares' and just decided that he'd feel better without a sweaty shirt clinging to him when he woke up in the middle of the night. He placed an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, his face resting awfully close to hers, like he was snuggling a teddy bear.

Marie was too tired and too concerned about Stein to freak out. This closeness probably wouldn't last very long, but she liked it. Stein did have an air about superior intelligence when he wore his glasses, but without them, he looked like a strong leader. She examined his profile clearly as she lie next to him, his breathing louder than her own.

That circular scar on his face. His lovely olive colored eyes. His messy grey hair. As if to wake her out of her stare, Stein spoke softly, "I'm not asleep, you know."

Marie was surprised. She thought he had fallen asleep quickly, just like that.

"I can feel your eyes."

"Sorry, I ju—"

"Don't be." He smiled lightly, though his eyes were still closed. "You don't have to apologize to me."

Marie was a little speechless. Stein had _never_ acted this way with _anybody_. When she had first asked him out a little over a decade ago, he had said, "I am incapable of love. You wouldn't want me anyway. You can find someone much better than me."

But she never really did. She never really found someone quite like him. That wasn't to say she was solely after him. She did have other caring boyfriends as she grew older. A few were a little pigheaded, and on one unspeakable occasion, her 'boyfriend' had warped into a sex fiend. He nearly tried to rape her, but she wasn't a Death Scythe for nothing.

She thought she'd turn over a new leaf when she moved to Australia, but life over there wasn't as interesting as she had hoped. She craved the emotions she never got to see out of Stein. Now she finally saw them. Strangely, it was only around the awakening of the Kishin. But it had been years before they had last seen each other. Maybe it was his own feelings that had changed over time, and not because of the Kishin. She wanted to believe that the reason he was holding her so closely was on his own accord and not his own delusions.

"Unlike me, you actually need sleep." Stein said, gently kissing her forehead. "You've got to teach in the morning. It's a Friday." He smirked lightly.

"Oh, yes," Marie muffled a giggle, "I nearly forgot about that."

"You have to take my place, for now at least." He said, brushing a stray golden lock of hair out of her face. "You're taking up residence in my house now, so you have to do some work too, or I'll consider you a freeloader." He joked.

"A freeloader?" Marie smiled in protest, "We both need sleep."

It was a few hours into the school day, and Marie had just popped into the one of the bathrooms to touch up her makeup. There was a small break for teachers as students went off to lunch. As she entered through the double doors, she saw another woman hovering over the sink and held a pair of thick rimmed black glasses. Her dark blue eyes looked right, almost suspicious of the other body in the restroom. "Oh, it's just you Marie." She said calmly, relaxing.

"Oh, hi, Yumi. I haven't seen you around here lately…" Marie walked closer to the gold gilded mirrors and pulled out a stick of eyeliner from a small handbag she took to class. Asuza was in here to clear her glasses. The Asian woman had in her hand a soft piece of white fabric that she was using to rub her glasses clean. She seemed to be doing a thorough job of it too.

"Shinigami-Sama's ordered me to use my eyes to try to scout out Arachne's castle. It's slow work, but we're getting closer." Azusa was of course talking about her special insight. She was a bit more on the serious side, and liked to get the tasks applied to her done quickly and properly.

Marie smiled, already finished outlining the only eye not covered by an eye patch and slipped its lid back on, now reaching for a tube of lotion. "That's good. Medusa's still locked up, so once Arachne's been stopped and the Kishin has been caught, we'll have nothing to worry about."

"Yes," Asuza replied, slipping her glasses back on her face. "Though it's going to be a lot more challenging than just a simple reconnaissance. Not only do we have to find both of them, but we have to stop them. We'll probably need all of the Death Scythes here. Even that lazy Spirit…" Her face tensed for a moment at the mention of Maka's father.

"Oh, Yumi," Marie laughed nervously, "He's not all that bad. I'm sure he's just focused on being a parent too…"

"…Hah…Speaking of parents," Asuza narrowed her eyes, "How're things going with Stein?"

"Eh?" Marie blinked. "Since when to Stein and I relate to the word 'parent'?" Marie looked a little agitated.

"Since you two started living together."

"That's because I was order to, Yumi!" Marie said defensively.

"So you're saying you're not interested in him?"

Marie looked away, "Well…I didn't say that, but—"

"So you've finally found your 'someone' you keep mentioning. That someone you want to marry and have a family with."

"Yumi!" Marie shouted and slugged her friend in the shoulder. Asuza recoiled a bit and held her shoulder, "Geez, you're punch is as strong as ever…" Her friend muttered.

"Oh that wasn't a punch," Marie grinned deviously, "Do you want to see a _real_ punch?" She balled up a fist and raised it a little higher than her jaw. Asuza took a step back and waved her hands in defeat, "N—no! Don't punch me."

Marie giggled like her usual self, "Don't worry, wasn't planning on it anyway."

Asuza paused, sighing a little. "But I wasn't joking, Marie. Do you really love Stein? I'm asking this because we're friends."

Marie looked at her left hand, and held it tightly with her right. She counted the little stitches that Stein had sewn in himself, out of care and consideration. Even if he really didn't love her, she at least knew that he cared about her. "…I don't know, Yumi. He's very different than the Stein I remember when we all went to Shibusen together…I never really know if he's going to start hallucinating, or act like a normal person…"

"You still haven't answered my question, Marie." Asuza replied, narrowing her navy eyes.

"I do," Marie admitted. "I know it's only been a short while since I've seen him in so long, but he…" She paused, "He's a lot kinder than what he once was. He used to be a teacher here, so it's not like he hates kids. He must have changed a lot when we were gone."

Asuza sighed through her nose lightly, adjusting her glasses with an index and thumb. "I talk to Spirit today, and asked him about Stein…He said that he's only gotten worse. Because they were former partners, Spirit knows a lot about him. A lot that you don't, Marie."

"But I've been living with him for a while!" Marie protested, "He's not the same little Stein who sliced up his enemies when they angered him!" Her voice quieted some, "He's…gentle." Her fingers still rubbed against the new scar on her hand.

"Even if he has changed," Asuza continued, "There's still a chance that he might revert back to the Stein _we_ knew."

"Yumi!" Marie yelled back, looking angry. "I know!"

Asuza made her way to the exit, turning around slowly to give her friend a last look. "I'm just telling you this because I know how eager you are to settle down and start a family. We're friends, and I don't want you to make any decisions that you'll regret."

Marie nodded, "Thank you…But I already know the risks."

Asuza gave her another nod, and left, one of the double doors swooshing loudly as she vacated the area. Marie heaved a silent sigh, _Maybe Yumi is right…But I can't force myself to hate Stein._

Regardless, in her current situation, she lived with him. Her feelings were still rather jumbled, and she hoped the rest of the day wouldn't come back to bite her.

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C: Yay! This is soopahr fun to write. Please review, and understand that I'm still a n00blet at fanfics. _ lll


	3. Realization

:3 Yay! People read my fics! Thank you for all of the opinions you gave me! I hope I can learn. ; w ; Eventually. Thanks for all the nice feedback! I'll have a chapter out every few days or so, so don't worry!

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"How's your hand?" Stein asked, sipping a cup of black coffee in front of the computer, slightly swiveled around to face Marie.

Marie was sitting on the purple couch, and in the past few days, had continued to clean up his house. It was a lot brighter in this room than it used to be. There were lights actually in use, and it was cleared of its usual paper and dishware clutter. Marie set down a cup of tea she made for herself on the coffee table beside its arm. "Fine," she replied with a smile, looking at her left hand for a brief moment. "It's healing."

"Good." He nodded, taking another big slug out of a chipped mug. She had offered to give him his coffee in some of the mugs and cups she had bought recently, but he had refused. He liked his own chipped mugs and beakers to drink out of. Maybe it was just habit. She would admit that she too had a few unstoppable habits.

"I'm sure your future boyfriends would question why you've got that scar. It's better that it heals and isn't noticeable."

"Hah hah, yeah," Marie agreed, her shoulders relaxing and she softly looked at her left hand. In time, it would heal, and the reddish scab that was there now would eventually fall off and form a fleshy raised scar. Like Stein had said, she too hoped that it would only become a small scar. "I don't think I'm too proud of that little accident." She had absent-mindedly jumped over the words 'future boyfriends'.

"So you still plan on retiring from patrolling in the Oceania and getting married?"

Marie giggled lightly and nodded, "Yep. I'm not changing my goal. I've made up my mind. He's only a year older than us, but Spirit's already a daughter a little over 14." Her hands reached up to her cheeks and she started pulling and squishing parts of her face, "I wanna get married before I get too old. I don't wanna be a granny."

Stein smirked, "You aren't one…And keep in mind Maka was born when Spirit was only 18. He got busy fast. "Stein joked.

Marie laughed lightly, "That'd be a little too young for me, but I'd like to be a parent someday…What about you, Stein? You teach—or used to teach—the students at Shibusen, so you can't be entirely against kids…"

Stein sighed, resting his chin on a palm. "I don't know." He admitted. "I guess, but I seem a little bit too scary to be a dad."

Marie's lips curved upwards to form a smile, "If Spirit raised Maka, then I'm sure you'd be an okay parent too. It could also depend on the child's personality, but if you had a good wife, then I'm sure you'd be a great dad."

Stein chuckled, "You're so sure?"

"Huh?" Marie blinked, a little confused.

"You see so sure of yourself, Marie. Are you suggesting that we get married?"

Marie's pupils contracted immensely and her face glowed a bright red. "I…uh…I wasn--…Uhn,"

Stein just chuckled, "Your embarrassed face is cute."

Marie was a little angry, being backed into a corner like that. "Are you asking to marry me?" She retorted, her face flushed from embarrassment and annoyance.

Stein just smirked slyly, "Would you accept if I asked you?"

Marie shut her mouth and averted her eyes for a moment. The man she had fallen in love with had just—in a way—asked her to marry him. Of course she wanted to scream 'yes', but her mouth just wouldn't open. She looked back up him, blinking a few more times, rather speechless. "I would accept." She squeaked.

"What was that?" Stein said with a hand to his ear. He had heard her, but just to toy with her, he pretended to be hard of hearing. "I couldn't quite hear you. Speak up."

"If you asked me, I'd marry you!" She said a bit louder, a little forceful because she was nervous and tense.

_Clunk_. Huh? Marie looked down; her tea had spilled over and was dripping on her foot.

Marie opened her eyes. _Hah,_ she smiled to herself, _I knew it was too good to be true. Just a dream._ She had wished it'd been reality, but unfortunately, it wasn't. It was just a little fantasy she had while she sat at the now cleaned dining table in Stein's house—the Patchwork Laboratory. She sat up, but noticed something around her shoulders. She looked over at it to realize that Stein had placed his lab coat on her shoulders to serve as a blanket. She smiled, and her gaze softened.

Marie had fallen asleep with her face buried in her arms in Stein's kitchen. She had just finished cleaning, and fully exhausted, she took a quick nap on the table. She stood up and scooted the stitched chair back into its place, taking Stein's coat off of her shoulders and folded it over on an arm, and decided she'd return it to him.

Now that she had accomplished a lot of cleaning in the past few days, the grey, concrete box-like house seemed a bit livelier, despite only housing two people. The lights in most of the hallways were on, which easily dispelled most of the forbidding atmosphere this place gave off. Marie rounded a corner, headed towards Stein's office, and beyond that, his lab.

_CRASH!_ What was that? Marie dashed towards the sound of the noise, hoping that whatever it was just happened to be an accident. "Stein!"

Stein picked up a piece of the broken mirror on the floor, standing back up again to see if he could place it back in its proper place. The mirror hovered over the sink, and with one hand on the sink, Stein used his olive eyes to try to locate one of the missing pieces in the broken mirror. Where did that little missing piece go? There were thousands of little specs of glass that had fallen to the floor of the small room adjoined to the rest of his lab.

The mirror was completely shattered. Only gravity held it in place. There were larger cracks in the mirror, where Stein had punched it a few days ago, but hardly remembered why. There were smaller cracks in the mirror, farther away from where the original fist had made contact with the glass. As he tried to slip the missing piece back into a specific spot, the mirror had distorted into some kind of metallic liquid.

Stein stepped back once, staring at his mirror that resembled a pond of mercury. Within an instant, in solidified, and a reflection stared back at him in the parallel surface. It had black and white hair, and unnatural combination that made him seem like some sort of pedigree experiment. Three red eyes glowed with hate as they connected to Stein's. The male figure was wrapped in what looked like flesh-colored scarves.

**What are you doing in that mirror, Stein?** The voice asked him, sounding like fingernails dancing against a chalkboard.

"The mirror?" Stein laughed, unable to control himself. "I'm not in the mirror, you are!"

**Oh? I am? Well then, help me out. **The figure reached out of the mirror and two hands materialized on each side of the mirror, and soon poked out the figure's head as he started to emerge slowly, almost as though he were being born again.

"Don't come out here!" He screamed at the figure, his face warping from a psychotic grin to that of a drill sergeant. "You should stay in that mirror!"

The three red eyes looked up at him all at the same time. **Why aren't you helping me? Aren't we on the same side?**

"No!" Stein corrected him, "We're not!" And balling up a fist, he lobbed a fist at the mirror, hearing a satisfactory din. Something was wrong with his hands; the figure had absorbed back into the mirror and started laughing. **Kehahaha! You've gone and broken yourself!**

Stein stared at both of his hands, they were falling apart like little glass shards, cascading to the floor like jagged raindrops, and soon all of him started to fall apart. "No!" He screamed, trying to clutch his shoulders as he eroded.

"Stein!" Marie's voice called. She came bursting in, and had thrown his coat on the purple couch. She dashed into the small room with the medical supplies and a few other implements, where Stein remained in a heap. "Stein!" She screamed, kneeling down in the glass shards, but enough adrenaline was in her bloodstream that she was oblivious to the pain of the microscopic shards being imbedded into her knees. Stein's body was limp, and she held up his torso. His head rolled back and his arms flopped out, looking somewhat like a dead body. His forehead was bleeding, and the thin layer of skin on his knuckles was ripped and torn, oozing blood.

"Stein!" She screamed in his ear, tears falling onto his face. He still remained unresponsive. "S—Stein…" Marie cried, holding him closer.

"Is he gone?" Stein breathed weakly.

"W—what? Who?" Marie sobbed, trying to hold back tears and sniffled, clearing her throat once.

"Ashura." Stein replied. "He nearly got out of the mirror, but I stopped him." He smiled, letting out a relieved laugh. "You don't have to worry, Marie. I stopped the Kishin for you." He grinned.

Stein's mental stability was completely erratic. One moment he was a sly man who subtly antagonized Marie, the next, he was hallucinating and getting himself hurt. It pained her to say this, but she needed to bring him out of his delusions. "Stein, there never was any Kishin here."

Stein's expression warped. "What do you mean?" He sputtered, obviously gaining some of his strength back. He forced his way out of her grasp and leaned against the wall for support, holding his right hand under his left arm in pain.

"It's just been us, Stein. No one has come here for a few days, not even Spirit or Chrona."

Stein chuckled, "You're lying to me! Ashura was _right_ here, I saw him! He was going to escape and _kill_ you!"

Marie blinked in disbelief. "W—what do you mean?" She asked him, almost ready to cry again.

"That bastard was going to kill you!" He thundered, screaming right in her face. "I wouldn't let him! I wouldn't let him kill you! You're not going to leave me, ever!"

"What are you saying, Stein?" Marie placed her hands on her thighs as she sat on her feet and knees. Luckily, her skirt was thick; she wouldn't have to worry much about the glass underneath.

"I'm saying you're important to me, damnit!"

Marie said nothing, but stood up, brushing the little glass bits off of her person and tried to help Stein up, "I'll take care of you, Stein." She said solemnly. "You should probably be resting…"

Stein shirked her off, pushing her helpful gesture away, and managed to stand himself, a little shaky. "I'll take care of myself." He said gruffly, glaring at her. He staggered out of the room, still clutching his right hand. The knuckles were still bleeding from punching that glass even harder than before. The mirror now was nothing but an empty frame. The glass bits that hadn't crashed to the floor fell into the sink directly below it. Marie watched him silently, then brought herself to straighten her spine. She eyed the bandages that were still lying about from her previous hand accident. Grabbing them quickly, she went after Stein. "I'll help you with your hand—"

"No," He brushed her away, pushing back her offering hands with his uninjured one. "I don't want your help. Leave me alone."

Marie felt crushed. A second ago he had screamed at her that she was important to him, and he didn't want her to die. He needed her, but all of a sudden she was like some stranger to him. There was now a third side to this new Stein. A side that avoided her. She was stuck with a mischievous, insane and solitary man. This was the man that she had fallen in love with.

She watched the man fish out a packet of cigarettes out of one of his pockets and he rested his back against a wall, sliding down slowly. He tapped the bottom of the container lightly with his wounded hand and out popped a single cigarette. He bit down on it and pulled it out, using his upper lip to bring it to the point where it wouldn't fall out of his mouth. He additionally scooped out a chrome lighter with his uninjured hand and ignited a small flame, it came in contact with the tobacco-filled stick and sizzled.

He inhaled deeply, letting the smoke escape out of his nostrils and at that point, looked very much like an agitated dragon. He glared at her, olive eyes narrowed. "Why are you still here?"

Marie blinked, after she had walked out of the smaller room, she just stood there, watching Stein light his cigarette. "Hah?" She uttered, waking from her trance.

"Get the hell out…!" He said forcefully, his face scrunching up and his upper lip curled.

"Y—yes…" Marie muttered, and left his room, closing the big charcoal door behind her. _KLNK._ The door boomed at her. Patchwork Laboratory had fallen silent. That is, until a quiet and shy knock sounded on the front door.

Marie didn't hear it at first, but every few seconds, there was a stream of quiet little knocks. She tilted her head to one side and pondered who it could be. If it were Spirit, he'd have just busted in nonchalantly.

Marie walked to the door a little gingerly, rather anxious about whom it was. She gently clicked the front door open, and there stood a willowy pink-haired androgynous figure clutching her right arm. Her face was tilted downwards, and she was shaking a little.

"Chrona?" Marie asked, a little surprised to see her out of nowhere. She ushered Chrona into Stein's house and led her to the kitchen, trying to keep away from Stein as long as she could. Stein in this state wouldn't be thrilled to see anyone. At all.

"M—Marie…" Chrona started, shaking.

"What is it, Chrona?" Marie smiled, pouring a small cup for Chrona and set it on a saucer, pushing it towards the thin, seemingly-genderless student.

Chrona didn't bother with her tea. She just hung her head, and choked sobs sounds emitted from her mouth. "I--I'm sorry…Marie." Chrona forced out, her voice shaking and tears already had bubbled over.

Marie leaned over a bit to try to seek Chrona's eye contact. "Sorry about what?" Marie blinked unknowingly.

"I'm sorry!" Chrona cried, "I didn't want to but…but _she_ made me do it."

"Do what, Chrona?" Marie asked, narrowing her eyes lightly. "What did you do?

"I put…I put a…I put a microphone…I—in your d—drink…"

"Huh?" Marie asked, confused. Then it hit her, it was that black mass that Joe had removed from her. Marie's amber eyes relaxed, in disbelief. A scared smile started to grow on her face, "Chrona…"

"I'm sorry!" Chrona cried, bowing her head low, trying to wipe her tears away, only for more to start flowing, like a continuous waterfall. "Medusa made me! I didn't _want_ to! I want to stay here with my friends…I…I don't…I don't know what to do anymore."

Marie relaxed, feeling somewhat like Chrona at this point; unsure of what to do next. "I don't know either, Chrona." She said plainly.

Chrona looked up, heartbreak clearly visible on her pale face. Her lower lip trembled and her shoulders shook. "M—Marie…I…"

Marie rose to her feet, staying silent for a moment, but kept a calm face. "Chrona," She started, her eyes softening, "I'm sorry to say this, but I think you should leave now."

"Oh…I—I was j—jus…just a—about to leave…S—sorry for b—bothering you, Marie." Chrona sniffled and wiped away her tears, trying to suck in all of the emotions that had just spilled out. Chrona remembered the way out, and scurried as quickly as she could out of the room, and into a hallway, and out of the house. She closed the door lightly behind her, taking one look back before scuttling on back to her prison cell of a room.

Marie sat back down on one of the kitchen chairs, just letting go and rested her head on her arms. She stared at the two rather full tea cups near her. Chrona hadn't even touched her. She didn't need to even bother. Even last time Chrona had come for a visit, she took about two sips, then left. Now Marie knew why. She had come here for a specific purpose each trip, the first was to plan the bug in Stein's house, the next was to apologize for doing so.

She sighed emptily. _Chrona's emotions are far more mutilated than my own…_ Marie thought, resting her forehead on her palms. That poor enervated girl had a distorted sense of right and wrong from birth. Her mother, Medusa, being a witch. She was torn between her two worlds, the world with her friends, and the world with her mother. The side that Shibusen fought against.

_Chrona…I know you didn't mean to. You were just being obedient. If only your mother was a different kind of person. You were just obeying her orders. Don't hate yourself for listening to your parents. You're supposed to, but at a certain age you have to live for yourself. Parents and children are two totally different life forms, and with each new generation, things change. _

_At least you apologized. At least you told me. You chose to. _

_At least…You chose your own decision._

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Gwah, I messed up a little bit of the chronology (in the manga) but let's hope you guys don't notice! ; ~ ; I didn't…for a while at least. Thanks again for all of your kind reviews and helpful advice!! n – n


	4. I Remember

It's official; this fanfic has become my new crack. I haven't drawn anything for a few days! O _ O That's how much I love writing this. Just to let you know a head of time, there'll probably be around 10 chapters or so…If I can make it that far. ; w ; Thank you all for reading this~

Oh, this chapter is all flashbacks, which I would originally put in italics, but because this entire chapter would have been, I'll just save you the trouble. = w =lll

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Today was first day of the first year at Shibusen. It was a fresh start, and adolescents came from miles around to attend this studious organization located in the middle of Death City, Nevada. There were hoards of people in the front yard, inside the building—virtually everywhere. They were first appointed the mission upon joining: find a partner. Weapons, find your technician, and technicians were to find their weapon. Though there was the occasional weapon that didn't need to be wielded by a technician, they were assigned one anyway, and usually the bond created the two were inseparable.

In cases where the relationship was between opposite genders, the pair usually ended up getting married. Because of the constant teamwork the pair was put through, they had to cooperate and form a connection that couldn't be severed easily. In addition to that, mere friendship didn't create resonance. In order for a technician and a weapon to properly function with each other, they needed to resonate. Compatibility was needed, and personalities and traits were a big part of this.

In the midst of all this celebration and new friendships, a blonde young girl stood rather alone. With her dark amber eyes, she scanned for people that she felt a connection to, just by glancing at them. If she and her technician were to resonate, she needed to be able to feel that in their first impression.

She wanted someone she'd bond with instantly. Preferably, a male technician, but if no one else was available; she'd team up with another girl. She sighed lightly, a little gloomy that anyone she felt a connection to had already found their other half. _Don't worry, Marie,_ she told herself, _you'll find that special technician that'll wield you like the crushing hammer you are…_

She wandered around a bit, wedging her way through masses to try to find another connection with her soul. Essentially, she was looking for her 'soul mate'.

Her heart fluttered, sensing that a worthy technician was about. This feeling in her gut told her that this someone was near. But because of all these people, it was hard to tell. She worked her way out of the crowd, apologizing when she accidentally ran into someone. There, now she could breathe. She closed her eyes and used her other senses to locate this someone that could connect souls. There! She felt it, and her eyes opened.

There was a boy about her age—or so she assumed—with dark grey hair. He looked rather dismal and uninterested in anyone about in the crowd. He sat on a small raised pillar with his arms folded, his white clothes covered in little black stitches. She walked up to him with a small smile etched onto her face.

"Hi!" she greeted him with a small wave, "I'm Marie."

The boy looked at her rather strangely, as though she were ugly and disgusting, and faced away, continuing to peer into the uninteresting crowd. This made Marie only more curious, she stepped closer to him, trying to look at what he was gazing at. "What's your name?"

"Franken," He replied rather bleakly. He kept his answers short and blunt, and continued to ignore her as best as possible.

"Franken?" She giggled, "That's a funny first name."

"No one calls me that though," He said, heaving a little sigh. "Everyone just calls me Stein."

"Stein?" Marie repeated.

"Yeah, it's my last name. I'm Franken Stein."

Marie blinked, rather glad that she had managed to wheedle his entire name out of him by annoying him. "I'm Marie Mjӧlnir. I'm a weapon; a hammer."

Stein said nothing in reply for a moment. "I'm a technician."

Marie bit her lower lip in anxiety for a moment, clasping her hands together in nervousness. "D—do you want to be my partner?" she asked, her dark amber eyes glittering with potential hope and bliss.

Stein looked at her as though she had asked if he had killed someone, "No." He spat a little forcefully.

Marie felt herself sink, "Why not?" She squeaked. "I can already feel that we'd resonate without much difficulty."

Again, Stein gave her another weird look. "I've already got myself a weapon, so stop bugging me!"

Marie felt a little crushed, so flatly turned down. "O—oh," she forced a smile, "I…I see. Well, sorry about that…I'll be on my way." She said with a nod, turning around to leave when she saw someone emerge from the crowd. He looked a little older than Stein, with dark turquoise blue eyes and bright scarlet hair. "Phew!" He breathed. "Sorry about that, Stein. That crowd is _massive_."

She was rather surprised to see that Stein smirked in response when he wouldn't even give her a reply without giving her an odd look. _That must be his weapon…_She thought.

"Hey, Spirit…What weapon do you transform into again?" Stein asked, jumping off the pillar and landed on both feet, folding his arms again.

"A scythe…Why?" The other male replied, tilting his heat to once side for a brief moment.

"No reason," Stein replied. "Transform, Spirit. I want to see what _kind_ of scythe you are." A gentle smile formed on his face, like the two were already best friends.

"Uhm, okay." Spirit shrugged, a bright flash of light green light appeared, and within an instant, Stein held a grey metal scythe with a cross for the handle, and the horizontal bar grew into the blade of the scythe. With seemingly effortless motions, Stein twirled the scythe around like a baton. "Huh," Stein muttered.

"What is it?" Spirit asked, the voice coming from the scythe's core.

"You're surprisingly light. I though scythes were much heavier…"

"Are you calling me overweight!?" Spirit roared.

"Not exactly,"

Spirit huffed, "Well, whatever. That just means that we're able to resonate well. If I'm light then that means we can be partners."

"Good," Stein smirked rather slyly.

Marie closed her eyes for a brief moment, sighing to herself and emerged back into the crowd, searching for another suitable technician.

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Quite a lot of time had elapsed since the hammer and the scientist had met. The two were remotely friends, only connected by their other friends. Though there were usually a lot of disagreements, the group consisting of Marie, Asuza, Spirit, Stein and their new friend, Kami. Kami was an exchange student from Europe, and had adapted quite well to the life at Shibusen. She was a technician, and a rumored great hero in Europe. She, unfortunately, had to leave behind her weapon when she moved, but she was very eager to find one.

She had chose Marie in the time being, and the two were pretty good friends. Kami was intellectual, but always could find someone's weakness and make them laugh. She was analytical, and in her serious occasions, she and Asuza could have lengthy discussions about things that Marie was not familiar with. She felt a little out of her league at times, but Kami did a good job of filling her in at necessary times.

In their time at Shibusen, Marie had noticed that Stein had started to wear glasses, though would never answer the question if they were really for his eyes, or he just liked wearing them. He became more interested in dissecting things, and seemed like a really creepy kind of guy in a stranger's eyes.

Though he was never as competitive as Kami, the two were always neck and neck in who ranked first in their class. One day, it was Stein, the next, it was Kami. Stein never cared. He pursued that knowledge, but never studied for tests. If he didn't know a question, he'd answer it to the best of his ability and moved on. Though 98% of his tests and assignments, if not all, were perfect, or near so. Kami's intelligence closely rivals Stein's. Though unlike Stein, she actually put effort into studying. Whenever a test would rear its ugly head, she'd inform Marie a head of time, and the two would start studying together.

Kami's words were reassuring, and she knew how to teach others. Marie usually passed in most things because of that girl—her technician.

Then as the years in Shibusen progressed, Marie started finding boyfriends. She had said that she wanted to settle down and start a family as soon as she graduated, but would often break up with whoever it was because she didn't consider them 'husband material', though she never told anyone what her criteria was. Marie had her own little reputation around school, but it was Kami who defended her. Marie wasn't just "a slut". Marie also relied on her own temper and strength as a weapon to crush and defeat all who opposed her.

During this time, Marie's feelings for Stein started accumulating greatly, and with each day she saw him, her heart fluttered and she was nervous around him, although tried to hide as best as she possibly could. Kami quickly caught word of this, and would often tease her about it, but it was just good-natured joking.

"Today's the day, right?" Kami smiled, her green eyes brimming with hope and reassurance.

Marie nodded slowly, "If I can manage to keep myself together!" She cried, burying her head in her hands. "Uwaaaaaah…I'm a nervous wreck, Stein'll never accept me like _this_!"

"Pfft," Kami scoffed, "You're fine. Now don't try to rub your face anymore, or you'll ruin the make up!"

"Uugh," Marie sighed, "Okay, Kami."

A male figure with grey hair and glasses walked across the hallway, his hands crammed in his pockets and his usual aloof expression remained as prominent as ever. He was completely oblivious of Marie and Kami giggling like little girls off in the corner, discussing a game plan for Marie.

"Get out there!" Kami said with a laugh, shoving her weapon in Stein's direction.

Kami's gentle nudge had turned out to be more like a forceful push. Marie bumped into Stein, and she turned bright red, standing there like an idiot. Stein didn't look amused, a little aggravated that Marie had just bumped into him out of nowhere. "What is it?" He asked her in an annoyed tone.

"S—Stein!" She managed to say, "Please go out with me!"

_Gwuaaaaah…_ Marie cried on the inside. _That came out horribly!_ The reason for her intense lack of self-confidence in herself was because Stein had rejected her on several different occasions. But ever since she had met him, she felt that special connection, and she wanted to be _his_ weapon. "Please!" She uttered, "I love you."

Though to her dismay, Stein's feelings weren't mutual. He didn't like her the way she liked him. In a strange sort of relationship, the two would consider each other friends, at least.

"No," He replied in a rather harsh tone. "I am incapable of love. You wouldn't want me anyway. You can find someone much better than me."

Marie blinked. This had been the only time he had given her a real reason why he always turned her down. Before, it had always been, "You're annoying, stop bugging me" or "You're nothing more than a friend to me" and there'd even been the occasional just leaving. The times that he said nothing at all and just walked away hurt the most.

"Why?" Marie asked him, almost starting to cry. It had taken so much more courage again, only to know that she'd be rejected again.

"I know what kind of life you're pursuing. I can't promise you a steady relationship, or a would-be family. I know what kind of person I am, and I know what kind of person you are. I'd only end up hurting you." He turned to leave, but Marie grabbed one of his white sleeves.

He turned around to look at her, their eyes locking for a long time. She was crying, and her mascara and eyeliner was starting to dribble down her face along with her tears. "Why are you so sure of yourself, Stein?" She asked, "Why not give this a chance. I've loved you for years, and I've tried to get over you…Believe me. You were the only person I truly hated for a long time, but I couldn't get rid of my emotions. I _love_ you Stein. Do I just not live up your expectations!?" She yanked his arm, anger seeping into her heartache.

Stein continued in an unwavering voice, "No, _I_ don't live up to your expectations. You haven't seen what I really am—"

"And _you_ haven't seen what I really am!" Marie thundered. "Why do you always reject me? I'm a lot stronger than you think! A few more months and I can become a Death Scythe, Stein!"

He pulled his arm away, and placed a hand on her cheek, wiping away some of her tears with his thumb acting like a windshield wiper. "Marie," He breathed calmly, in a strangely comforting voice, "I don't hate you, and I never will, but I know that I can't be with you without hurting you."

"Stein," She cried in a lower voice, "You're hurting me now."

"Yes," He replied, "And if you and I get married, you won't be able to imagine the pain you'd be in. Spirit and I are only partners and I've _cut him open_ on many occasions. He's seen his own muscles and tendons and organs. I've experimented on him without his knowledge for years. I can't control myself, and if you were to get any closer, I couldn't guarantee your own safety."

"I don't care about my own safety!" She whimpered.

"I do," Stein whispered tenderly, recoiling his hand, and left her standing there, returning to whatever he was doing last before she interrupted him. Marie started crying again, unable to bottle up her emotions anymore. Kami had been in hiding for a while, so Marie could feel a bit more relaxed knowing that Kami wasn't watching her every move.

Kami rushed to her best friend, and embraced her in a sympathetic hug. Marie cried onto her shoulder, holding her back. "He'll learn that he's just rejected the love of his life. When he gets older, he'll beat himself up over how he never went out with you." Kami reassured her in a convincing voice.

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After that incident, Stein and Marie hadn't spoken and had avoided each other for several months. Kami and Asuza knew how sensitive Marie could be, and they protected her. Graduation from Shibusen was nearing, and already, people were planning out their lives. Kami had been going out with Spirit for quite some time now, and though it wasn't obvious yet, she had confided in Marie that she was already pregnant.

Marie couldn't help but feel envious that her best friend had found her someone before she did. They even planned on getting married as soon as they graduated, and they already had a family started. What made matters worse was that Kami wasn't Marie's technician anymore. She was Spirit's technician. They had swapped so close to graduation that it didn't matter. They weren't going to be accepting any missions, so Marie was completely devastated.

She told herself that Spirit and Kami needed to be there for each other if they were going to get married. Marie had realized that she and Kami had the same sort of wave length that Spirit and Stein did, the reason that she felt so connected to him as a technician. She and Spirit her similar—not in personality—but in wavelength, while Kami and Stein were similar. If only, she wished, that their personalities were.

It was graduation day, and Marie had gone to seek out Stein to apologize for all that she'd put herself and Stein through in her ridiculousness. Stein was preoccupied with a gleaming scalpel in one hand, slicing through the bottom of his shoes, to see what exactly was in between the sole of his shoe and the foot padding. He had noticed Marie coming, but made no obvious sign of it.

"Stein," she started, holding her hands together and spoke in a low voice. "I…I'm really sorry for how annoying I was. I'm just…I'm just a really stubborn kind of person, and I feel like we won't see each other for a really long time…Years, or so…So I just wanted to apologize for all that I've done…And to say good-bye as well." As Stein remained motionless, Marie leaned in closer to him and quickly pecked him on the cheek.

Stein whipped around with the speed of a barracuda and glared at her, scalpel tightly gripped in his right hand. "Don't come near me."

"I…I'm sorry Stein, I jus…I just wanted to say go—"

Marie felt a strange coolness in one of her eyes. She blinked, but one of her eyes didn't follow the same order as the other. She felt whatever had plunged into her eye being forcefully ripped out as her eye started bleeding. Her once beautiful dark amber eye morphed into a sickening red, and she could no longer use it to see.

She staggered back, clutching her left eye and let out a scream. The scalpel clinked to the floor loudly, lightly dipped in blood. Stein also tottered back, letting out something like a scream of his own. "M—Marie!"

Marie looked up at him, her expression totally devastated. "S…Stein…" She sputtered.

He said nothing, only looking petrified beyond belief. This was the most terrified expression she'd ever seen him make. Without saying another word to her, he bolted like a frightened rabbit who caught sight of its predators and continued to run, leaving Marie feeling weak from blood loss. "S...Stein…"

Directly after graduation, Marie became a Death Scythe and was appointed to supervise Oceania and that was to be her permanent home. She moved to a part of Australia before Stein could apologize for what he'd done—permanently blinded her in one eye. Because her eye had healed a little deformedly, she wore an eye patch. What good would an eye be if it looked ugly and served no use? Just better to cover it up and not let it be seen. No one should have to see that mark that _he _gave her.

With that, she'd been able to move on, and fell in love with BJ, another technician in Australia, who became her partner. They had managed to keep a strong relationship for a while, but after a while, she missed Stein. She had ended their relationship right before the Kishin was awakened by Medusa, and she was summoned to Death City because of her obligations as a Death Scythe.

…_I wonder how much Stein has changed in over ten years? I wonder if he still hates me…_

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HOLY POOPS. And emo chapter. Sorry if I forever ruined your imagination on how Marie wears an eye patch. ; 3 ; They never explained way, and because this is a SteinxMarie fic, it just had to happen. This definitely IS my new crack, and if I have enough time, I'll crank out chapter five by tomorrow. Please read and review! 0 w ~


	5. Compelled

Hi again, guys. Thanks for all of the kind feedback, but please give me ideas! U w U I'm going to be running out soon, and I'm sure you'd feel special if you suggested something. Also, please tell me your favorite SE pairings! D: I'll do requests~ (for the most part) Yeah. Thank you all you read and review! C: I thrive on your words~ No srsly.

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On initial meeting, Marie seemed like a different person to him. A blonde spunky girl with determination and a desire to make close friends. She was headstrong and tough, but sensitive and gentle in the same way. Someone who'd defend you in any situation and someone who could comfort you and make you laugh in the same day.

She felt a connection to him, but he could already tell that he wouldn't be able to return the same kind of kindness that she displayed on a daily basis. He didn't reject her because he hated her. He thought she was magnificent and the ideal mother-figure that she wanted to be. Though he knew he couldn't give her what she wanted.

Even if he hadn't brushed her off so harshly, Spirit would have still been his partner. They could have been close friends and could have been lovers. Her benevolence bewildered him. He had never seen anything quite like her. She cared for _him_. And it was more than just the ability to resonate. He was cold, and eccentric. Spirit could put up with him just because he'd secure him a good grade, at least. Stein had known Spirit before they went to Shibusen, so already they knew that they'd be partners. Marie didn't even have a chance.

Spirit and Stein had been neighbors once upon a time. Stein was solitary and never wanted to interact with anyone around his own age. Spirit was annoying, but just wouldn't go away. Stein eventually gave in and became friends with him.

_"Franken~, what're you doing?"_

_"I'm cutting this frog open…"_

_"Ugh, why?"_

_"Haven't you ever wondered how they live?"_

_"Er, not really…They have to be healthy to survive…But…"_

_"This is the same as people who take apart clocks to find out how they work. To be able to build something, you need to be able to know how the parts work by themselves. It's quite interesting, actually…"_

Stein had a reputation for being the creepy little kid who would threaten people if they angered him. He was raised by his father, his mother had disappeared. Stein had already heard the rumors about his missing mother. "They say his father killed her!"

"Like father, like son, right?"

It was Stein's father who first interested him in dissection. His father was a biologist and a chemist. Stein quickly learned about the organs and how essential they were to survive. How meaningful they were. He wasn't as interested in machines as his father was, but he was passionate about how living creatures survived. Many avoided Stein from the start, and his reputation only grew stronger.

When Stein grew to the age of 13, his father disappeared. No one talked about Stein's family anymore. He lived alone, and no one but Spirit would visit him. There were rumors, but he never heard any of them. They were too afraid that _they'd_ be killed. There was never evidence, but some said that Stein killed his own father, like his father killed his mother. Those who feared the Stein family were quite malicious to these 'freaks'.

He started to attend Shibusen as a technician, like his father before him, and was greatly pleased to learn that his neighbor that pestered him changed into a scythe. Like a big scalpel. A tool that could slice flesh apart.

When Marie introduced herself, she included her first and last name, whether or not she was a weapon or a technician, and her weapon state. A hammer, clearly not as appealing as a scythe. If Marie and been a scythe and not a hammer, Stein would have disregarded the few years of friendship with Spirit and would have accepted her to be his weapon. But she was a hammer, something that crushed and pounded. He didn't consider that elegant or mystifying. It pounded something until it was nowhere near distinguishable. Crushed under some weight. A scythe could slice and glide through practically anything with ease. The delicate insides could be observed without damaging its husk too critically. Regardless of pressure, a hammer would crush something vital. It was not Marie he was rejecting, but her weapon state.

Though this was not how she perceived the refusal. She took it upon herself that it was somehow _her own_ fault for not being what he wanted. It wasn't. He did feel something about her that was never there with Spirit, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was. It felt entirely alien to him, and he tried to reach out for it, but every time he tried, Marie took another step back. Reaching out usually meant hurting her. It was unintentional, Stein was never raised by a woman, and was completely oblivious to their different feelings. In most cases, women were more delicate than men. Stein didn't know. They both possessed brains, and the same vital organs, and were both classified as human. Of the same species. The same.

He rejected her because he didn't know what to do. He wasn't ready for it, and he didn't know exactly what she wanted. He knew well enough that it was unrequited love, but he had no idea what it was _him._ Why? He had never pursued any interest in her, though they could resonate. She was just a possible weapon choice. Most people avoided him. Why didn't she follow along with the rest of the crowd like sheep? Even teachers thought twice about him as being a 'good kid'. If asked for their opinion about a Mr. Franken Stein, they would usually reply with something like, "intelligent" or "curious". It was never "kind" or "problem-solver".

If someone ever got in a fight with them, he'd strike. He didn't think twice about just walking away. It was the same for Marie when she tried to get close to him. His brain told him it was an attack, which is why he usually lashed out. He only knew how to fight back. He didn't know 'love'. His father didn't even treat him like a son. He didn't neglect him or abuse him, but he treated Stein like a colleague. Just like an acquaintance. Like someone you're forced to work worth and you both agree to not anger each other but don't evolve into anything more than just acquaintances. There was never that comforting hug that children and even animals needed when growing up. Even animals needed their parents, or they'd die.

Spirit was annoying, but he acted like an older brother to Stein. He got that support that he never obtained from his own family. Stein wouldn't admit it, but Spirit really did matter to him. Spirit was, in a way, his first real friend. He betrayed Spirit's trust many times, but because they were friends, Spirit would forgive him. Stein was also unfamiliar to the term "forgive". Why would people just smile and forget about something that someone did to them?

Why did Marie forgive Stein when he impaled her left eye with a scalpel? How could she come to terms with the man that she loved had intentionally _blinded_ her? He didn't even get the chance to apologize before she moved away. Only time healed that wound. Only after a decade could she actually forgive him and return to Death City to live with him. Every time Stein laid eyes on Marie, a small part of him cried in anguish that the eye patch she wore was of his own accord. She never brought it up, and he never did either. If someone politely asked her about it, she'd reply, "It was an accident, that's all." It was obvious from her tone of voice that she really didn't want to talk about it.

"Maaaaaaaaaa-rie," Stein chirped rather happily, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Uwa, Stein?" She uttered, surprised that he was acting so friendly. It was vastly suspicious. Marie was busy cooking dinner for them—steak. Stein had insisted he wanted meat to eat tonight. He hugged her tightly and rested his head on his neck, "Hnnnn, are you wearing perfume?"

"Ergh…No," She muttered, embarrassed by his intimacy. "Why?"

Stein smiled, "Just wondering. Your natural smell is nice."

Marie narrowed her eyes at him, "Stein, are you drunk?"

He released her, wearing a silly grin, "No. Do I have to be drunk to compliment you? I thought women liked compliments."

"They do," Marie bit her lower lip, trying to subtly pinch herself to see if this was just a dream. She started to cut the steak into several chunks, and placed them onto two individual plates. "But it sounds strange coming from you…"

Stein laughed, "I've _changed_, Marie. You don't have to keep your guard up all the time. You're safe here. You can relax."

"That's what I'm worried about," she muttered under her breath, careful that Stein couldn't hear. This was the same man whom she had tried to help a few days ago, but had screamed that he could take care of himself. Erratic and unpredictable. She wondered if this kind of man was better than a stable one. His memory seemed to be intact, though he was a bit delusional. He had his normal moments, like now. When he was calm like this, he was soft, and gentle. Now that she thought about it, she'd rather have to help him through it all than to have a completely perfect person. She loved his flaws, even if they ended up hurting herself. Those were just her risks. She even tried to repress the feelings, but as she grew farther away from him, they only intensified.

Marie had finished drizzling the sauce on the two lightly slice steaks and placed them on the clean dining table, with a little sigh. Stein was watching her with a sly grin on his face. "Marie," He said, walking closer to her, "Let me help you with that."

"With what? The table's already set."

"Not that," He waved a hand lightly, his fingers drifting down slightly from her neck, until they reached her collar bone and started unbuttoning a few of the buttons to her black shirt. Marie froze, startled infinitely. "S—Stein!"

He recoiled his hands, "That's better." He added with a grin. "You don't need to be so boxed up."

Marie was a little bothered by this Stein. It was almost so different from the other him that she didn't like it. "Go eat your dinner," She instructed him with a firm nod.

"Yes, yes, yes…" He smiled, slinking into a chair. Marie noticed that he wasn't wearing his white lab coat, a little strange, but nothing suspicious. As she sat down to her own meal, she realized his well-defined arm muscles. The coat he wore covered them up. He looked so much stronger. He smiled like a fox as she sat down, still a little unnerved by his attitude changes.

Stein pierced a piece of steak with his fork and raised it to his eyes for closer inspection. "I'm surprised," He started, "You cooked my steak just how I like it…How did you know I wanted it rare? I didn't specify…"

"I guessed," Marie admitted, taking a bite of her own meal. She assumed that he wanted his food to be as close to its original state as possible while still suitable for consumption. She watched Stein out of the corner of her eye take a bite out of her creation. It tasted fine to her, but to cooks, their own food usually appealed to them. It was winning others' trust that usually proved to be the difficult part. She felt relieved when she saw Stein smile, "You're a better cook than you led me to believe."

"I'm not _that_ good," She protested, a little self-conscious of her own culinary skills. "I just learned to cook because it's a skill that all mothers should have."

Stein nodded, taking another bite, "Yes…They should." He felt a little nostalgic about his own mother, whom he only remembered faintly.

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Stein was feeling playful again, though Marie had grown accustomed to it slightly. It had persisted for several hours without him fluctuating to insanity. She almost wanted him to stay like this. She hoped this feeling was genuine, but she couldn't be sure. Maybe he thought it was just a dream.

They were watching a scary movie together, and Marie had jumped several times, letting out a small shriek that accompanied it. Stein pointed out the unlikelihood of said events in the movie scenario, but only did so in unimportant parts. Marie grinned slightly, he seemed to be enjoying himself, and was interested in the story enough to shout at the stupid characters who made unwise decisions and ultimately paid the price with their lives.

The movie had concluded, and the white font started to scroll upwards against a black background. She pressed a button on the remote that turned off the screen. "That was pretty scary," Marie giggled, biting her lower lip lightly.

"I guess," Stein agreed somewhat, one of his arms around Marie's narrow shoulders. "You liked it, so that's all that really mattered."

Marie laughed once out of her nose and blushed lightly. This side of Stein really seemed to sincerely love her. This was the side that she had wanted to see so dearly when they went to Shibusen together. But she never did. Only when they started to live together did he start acting like this. Maybe Stein was entirely right. The time a little over 10 years that they had been apart—not once did they even exchange letters—had really changed him. They had been away from each other for so long that they had forgotten all about the past and just felt better being close to one another.

Stein had grown up significantly. He seemed more mature and more in touch with the rest of his subconscious emotions, versus before, where he distanced himself from everyone. He created a fence around himself and remained within its barriers. This time, he had created a small gate in the fence, and only one person could really slip past that gate.

Stein gently rested his head on her shoulder. A silent moment passed between the two until Stein spoke up, "Do you still hate me?"

"Huh?" Marie questioned, "I've never really hated you…I've been furious at you countless times, but I could never really bring myself to hate you."

"Why not?" He asked, their eyes locked. "I've hurt you. Shouldn't that be a reason to hate me?"

Marie paused, assembling her thoughts before she replied to Stein's question. "Humans hurt other humans without really trying to. I've hurt people unintentionally, but that doesn't mean they have to hate me. People have hurt me, and I don't hate them."

"Did you forgive them?" Stein asked.

"Of course!" Marie replied with a small smile. "If they apologized and asked for my forgiveness, I'd forgive them."

"Even if that pain was immeasurable?"

Marie looked confused, what was he hinting at? Marie gave him a small nod, "Yes…I wouldn't care what they did…as long as they knew that they were sorry. I know I'd be angry for a while, but I just can't bring myself to hate someone. Sure there are people I don't like, but I can't honestly say that I _hate_ them."

"I'm sorry," Stein muttered, holding her a bit closer.

"Sorry for what?"

"All of it." He replied, "I'm sorry."

"All of what?" Marie asked, her voice starting to shake a little.

"All of the pain I've cause you…" He said regretfully, closing his eyes. She could feel his heartbeat because he was pressed up against her. "I can't believe that you'd forgive me."

_My eye_, she realized. _After all this time…He never…He never could apologize. Has he been under the impression that I've hated him all this time?_

"Stein…" She said softly, her voice sympathetic. She placed a comforting hand on his head of dark grey hair.

"I can't believe that you're right here with me…I just can't…"

Marie smiled and whispered faintly, "Believe it."

"For all that I've done to you, I can't understand why you'd come back to Shibusen to watch over me. I'm so…I can't take your kindness…"

Marie gently kissed his cheek, "It's because I love you Stein."

Stein smiled as their fingers interlaced. "I grew up without knowing the fundamental emotions that a family thrives on. That's why I kept denying you. You were so wonderful I didn't think I was good enough for you. I didn't know what you wanted me to do."

"You don't need to belittle yourself, Stein. I love you for the way you are…Even if you have hurt me deeply, I have to forgive you because I love you." He kissed her back, then migrated down to her neck.

"I know what this is now, Marie…" Stein breathed calmly, caressing her skin with the back of his index finger. "This…This feeling. It's love. You needed to leave for a long time…So I could change for you. So I could be what you wanted me to be."

Marie rested her head on his chest, just listening to the deep rhythmic sound of his beating heart. She had never just listened to it before. It was so…so soothing that she almost wanted to fall asleep listening to the sound of his heart valves opening and closing in a continuous cycle. "You _have_ changed, Stein." Marie breathed evenly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I was so surprised when I saw you again. You changed so much, I could hardly tell it was the same little Stein that told me he didn't want hammer as a weapon. But I like this change."

Stein smiled back, and scooped her up in both arms, picking her up with considerable ease and took her out of his living room. He walked slowly into a hall, and entered his bedroom, where he gently set her down on the bed. She let out another small laugh, "I never thought that _this _would happen."

"It is," he replied, unbuttoning her blouse.

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OLAWD. Hinted scene there. *eyebrows* I'm sure my friend Jasmine would be patting me on the head here for that hinted scene. Or at least somewhat. This chapter was like, super lovey. D: I have no boyfriend, and I'm only 14, so I'm using information I've collected from movies. ;D Forgive my cheesiness. Next chapter will be psycho, don't worry. Stein didn't turn into a total lovebird. He's still insane. C: We just had to let Marie have her moment. Thank you all who read and review this! =// c //= You make me very happy indeed!


	6. I Got Lost

D: Thanks for reviewing guys. Jk. *died* Stoopy Valentine's day. I drew some fan arts. Whoo. .com/fs40/f/2009/046/1/e/Stein_and_Marie_V_Day_by_TOXiC_ Sorry my Stein fails. It's the eyes. O` x `O I guess if I really want to, I could fix it, but I'm lazy. Yeah. Here's the kind of psycho chapter I promised. Not super psycho, you'll like the 7th (and beyond) chapter. = v = These chapters might be getting a little short so I can actually make things end up at 10 chapters! O _ o Yes. Sorry to clogging up this space here. NAO REED.

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Those few nocturnal hours they had spent with each other the previous night didn't even seem real. He had been so passionate, and so gentle. It didn't feel as though it were happening to them, but just watching the events play themselves out through a screen—like a movie.

Like the couple in the horror flick they watched together. Of course, their relationship with one another was on a different scale, yet it was somehow related. The girl of the story was generally well-liked by most people in the movie and had strong friends who helped her when she needed them most. The boy was of a different social status, and if the situation had been any different, they probably would have never interacted.

The boy was one of the loner kids. He didn't really have any friends at all, but was the type that needed to be comforted to really open up to people. His back story was his mother was a divorce lawyer, and because of her knowledge of the law, she easily snatched up her only son, who really wanted to stay with his father instead. He had secretly liked the girl, but because they were of two different social classes, they never talked to each other. She hadn't even noticed him.

The figure that brought them together was a spirit that only _they_ could vanquish, though hadn't the slightest inkling as to why. At first, they dismissed the thought of a spirit coming to haunt them, but once their friends and family started paying for it with severe injuries and health conditions, they realized that it wasn't just a coincidence.

That's somewhat how Marie saw her connection with Stein. The romantic feelings were one-sided, that is, until a particular event brought the two together; Marie was to live with Stein. Marie made a promise to Joe before she left Australia that she'd keep a close eye on Stein. And she had.

Marie opened her dark amber eyes and stretched, "Steiiiiin~," She purred like a cat. She clawed lightly to reach over and embrace him, but his side of the bed was cold. "Huh?" She reached further, but the bed only grew colder. _He's probably just somewhere around the house…_ She told herself. She sat up and stretched her arms again, letting a sort of gurgle. She felt better, but knew she was in need of a bath.

She found one of Stein's white stitched shirts lying around on the floor of his room and slipped it on, taking the short trip to the bathroom. Marie rubbed one of her eyes, still a little groggy, and continued towards the bathroom, but slowed when she pushed open the bathroom door.

There was Stein, his face buried in his hands. He was shaking again, and looked somewhat ill. "Stein?" Marie asked, kneeling down to his level. She placed one of her thin feminine hands on his. "…Stein, what's wrong?"

He didn't respond for quite some time, only making sudden sobbing sounds along with breathing violently. Combined with the quivering, he seemed like he was under some sort of delusion again. After their day as an average couple, he reverted back to hallucinating. His breathing was erratic, and he was curled up in a ball with his back pressed against a wall. He slowly brought down his hands so his olive-colored eyes could be seen. His pupils had contracted greatly and he looked scared out of his wits. A translucent liquid slowly escaped out of his lachrymal ducts and snaked its way down his horrified face. His bottom lip trembled.

"Marie," He managed to voice, their eyes instantly connected. His were of absolute fear. "I infected you with my insanity." He breathed almost soundlessly, but Marie could read his lips for that instant. "You've already contracted it."

"What?" She heard herself ask. "What do you mean, Stein!?" She asked, her voice rose as she pleaded to know more, shaking him once as if to snap him out of that trance.

He pulled his hands away from his face and started laughing hysterically, throwing back his shoulders and just busted out laughing. His grin warped, and his face seemed to be wrapped up in something, something skin-like. Stein opened his mouth to grin, but all she saw was those three red eyes and those fangs. Stein started to walk away, but his hands clamped tightly on her wrists—like hand cuffs. "Help me." He whispered, losing the Kishin's face and it returned to his own, afraid and alone.

"Stein!" she screamed.

Eh?

Marie blinked, feeling ashamed that she had been squeezing a grey bath towel calling Stein's name several times. She dropped it on the floor and held her head for a moment, taking a steady breath. _I just woke up…I must be tired…_ She told herself, just assuring herself that she was delirious because she had just woken up and was tired. Still dreaming with her eyes open. Like someone who just stumbled out of bed and started brushing their teeth instead of brushing their hair, like they originally wanted.

She let out another sigh as she turned a screw-like knob to start the warm bath water flowing. At first, only a trickle, but then it expanded to a small low-rumbling waterfall. Marie usually just took showers because they used less water and less time, but she felt like she needed to relax. Just a jumble of thoughts and feelings she needed to get rid of the warm water that would soon envelop her.

Marie had already assembled the bubble bath supplies and slid Stein's white shirt off of her skin and onto the floor. As she dipped one foot into the warm waters, she reached behind her head of golden blonde hair to take off her eye patch. She set it on the bathroom counter near the skin, and then slowly descended into the bubbly bath waters.

Marie heaved a relieved sigh as the warm water felt lovely. She rested her head against the back of the tub and just stared at the ceiling. Like the floors, the ceiling to Stein's house was also grey and rather smooth-looking. Every sound in the bathroom echoed, and she could hear herself breathing rather loudly, though she wasn't trying to be noisy. It was also eerie, not hearing anything else but her own breathing and the rippling bathwater.

_"Marie! What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a Death Scythe!"_

_Marie looked a little confused, "Why would you want to be a Death Scythe? That's a scary job…"_

_Her childhood friend closed his mouth, but then his face brightened and he opened it again, "To help Shinigami-Sama!" Her friend giggled. "What about you, Marie?"_

_Marie pondered for a bit, looking indecisive, "A mother."_

_Her friend laughed, "That's not a job!"_

_Marie nodded defensively, "Yes it is!"_

_"You're not paid for it though…"_

_"So," Marie responded, folding her arms. "It's one of the most important jobs ever!"_

_Her friend stayed silent, not really knowing what else to reply with. "You sure?"_

_Marie nodded vigorously, "Let's see if I can become a Death Scythe faster than you can!" she grinned and giggled._

_"But I thought you said that it'd be a scary job!"_

_"So!" Marie replied defiantly, "I didn't say I was scared."_

Marie faintly touched her left eyelid with her fingertips. She could still feel the mark that Stein left behind. The skin was tough and she moved the eyeball around in her head, feeling the raised tissue through the thinnest layer of skin. It hadn't really hurt, the scalpel entering her eye. It was more painful that she wasn't able to really move her eyes on a daily basis. She had to turn her entire head to face whichever direction she wanted to look at. It was the pain left behind.

Using your eyes to look at something faraway was just so much instinct, that it was hard not to. Though it was only one eye, it hurt enough for her to be blind. That's why she put on the eye patch. No one needed to see that pain. That's why she kept it on. She realized that at recent times when she met new people, they'd stare at the black eye patch unintentionally for a moment, then snapped back to whatever Marie was saying or doing.

After what felt like the longest time in the world, Marie picked up the towel sitting on the counter and left the warm water, goose bumps instantly arising from the drastic temperature change. She hadn't noticed, but Stein's house was pretty cold. She dried herself off quickly and placed the black eye patch on her again. She wrapped herself up the grey towel and examined her face in the mirror for a moment, noticing something peculiar about her skin.

Marie used her index finger to check it was just something on the bathroom mirror. No, it was definitely on her face. She brushed over it with a few more fingers, to see what its size was or to see if it hurt. It felt like a little scale connected to the rest of her skin. She thought it strange, but just plucked it off without another thought. Her accomplished smile faded when she saw that another scale was there.

She looked at the scale she had just picked off; it was in her right hand. It felt coarse but looked just like ordinary dead skin. Like the skin that peels off when you've got a bad sunburn. She picked off the other one, only to be horrified that another appeared. And another. With each little flake that she picked off, another took its place, only opening the scaly flesh.

She was getting scared, what the hell was happening to her!? Like a child who picks at their scabs until they bleed, Marie was hysterical about these strange little scales. She had picked most of them off and felt rather proud that she had ridded herself of the unsightly raised skin flakes. Her smile faded as she touched her skin again, it felt like cloth. Cloth? Her lungs swelled up with air involuntarily and she had this inclination to just start crying. Her head swam and throbbed like an open wound. She let out a laugh that was not her own, followed by another. And then a stream of laughs.

She forced herself out of it, placing both hands on the rim of the skin and glared at the mirror for a moment, her breathing quickened. She glared at her reflection, upper lip curled and expected it to make a different face back at her. She stifled a sigh and buried her face in her hands. "What's wrong with me…?" She muttered, screaming at herself inwardly.

_"I've infected you with my insanity." _ Stein's panicked voice echoed in her mind.

_"You've already contracted it."_

Despite the fact that those words were also hallucinations, maybe their souls had been able to communicate for that moment. "What do you mean, Stein…?" She asked him under her breath, half-expecting a reply, but never got one. "What should I do know?" She wanted an answer, but couldn't manage to find any within herself.

She took a deep breath and went out of Stein's bathroom, still dressed in only a towel. She went back out into his bedroom, where she found her clothes and undergarments in a heap and took them back into the bathroom to change.

Cleaning up the small mess in the bathroom, she ventured out into his house, eyes open and trying to look for him. Where exactly was he? As Marie continued to wander, she realized how roomy his house was. Why was it so big? He was the only permanent resident. He only stayed in one wing of the house, where his bedroom, office and lab were all located.

The rest of the house was just empty rooms with cages in them, namely birdcages. They were empty and looked quite rusted. _Why birdcages?_ Marie asked herself as she got distracted and wandered in to one of the rooms. Cages of all sorts of sizes. Some—she imagined—could have contained finches or some sort of small song birds, and some the size to just imprison a vulture. There was a large range of what she assumed were dog cages, and cat carriers…

There was also another space in the back of this room, where she ventured in further.

"I don't think you'll like what you'll see in there," A timid voice said, hand on her shoulder. She abruptly turned around to see who it was, but the closest life form around was a dead sparrow on the bottom of a small birdcage, on its speckled back with its reddish claws curled up and beak slightly open. By the looks of it, the bird had been there quite some time, though wasn't completely decaying yet.

It was missing feathers in places, but there weren't any worms crawling around on it or that sort of thing. Should she heed that sparrow's warning, or should she just give in to her curiosity about this darkened room in Stein's house? Did it matter? Who was a sparrow to tell her that some place in Stein's house was less than inviting! She _cleaned_ a good portion of it. She knew what kind of person he was like. What could be so bad that a dead sparrow at the bottom of a small cage would utter a warning? Pfft. Now she wanted in more than ever.

She took several steps forward, being enshrouded in a blinding darkness. Her fingertips glided over the surface of the wall for a light switch, and after a few moments of searching blindly, she found it, and flicked it on. Although she hadn't realized it before, as soon as the light flicked on, a smell became so strong that it made her want to gag. It was repugnant and foul, and her skin curdled. She cupped her hands around her nose and mouth, the smell seeming all too familiar to bear.

She turned around, letting out a stifled shriek with her hands still around her mouth. A woman lay lifeless on a table in the center of the room. She had been there for what could have been several months. Bits and pieces of her mangy brown hair were missing and scattered on the smooth flooring around her. Her face was turned in Marie's direction, and Marie could see her sunken in eyes and what remained of the flesh around her face. Her teeth were exposed and a bright shade of pearly white. The remnants of her skin were a strange hue of a light navy and a shade of peridot.

Marie noticed that she still had fibers of the clothes she must have worn still attached to her body, but an area around her stomach had been ripped apart. As Marie walked closer, she noticed that all of the woman's organs had been ripped out. She was nothing more than a shell.

A little farther away from the rotting woman, there was a faded notebook that was opened to a certain page that Marie caught sight of and started to read. It was Stein's scrawled handwriting. It hadn't changed at all.

_Question:_

_How much do unborn babies' organs differ from adults_

There were sketches that Stein had drawn of what stage the fetus was in and what organs were supposedly developed. Sketches of its organs and a slight family history.

_Are the physical bodies of weapons and technicians different?_

More scrawled writing here and there, crammed into different parts of the page, a coffee stain here and there, the pages were ripped and torn, dog-eared and creased. Marie's heart beat wildly as her eyes rolled over to a dismembered fetus. It looked like the baby was just about to be born, but it was forcibly removed and sliced open. Its face was still intact though, Stein knew that their brain was still developing, and no interesting than a purple gray pile of pudding.

The umbilical cord had yet to be severed, though it had wilted like a flower.

_He…He killed a mother and child!?_

The baby hadn't rotted any, strangely. Yes, its blood was all dried up and it did look a little blue, but there was no caving in or puffing out in odd places like its mother. The muscles that were usually tight hadn't relaxed and expanded like its mother's. It was missing a few limbs and it was cut open, the impressions of its small organs that it currently lacked were clearly visible. It was hard to imagine that this baby's death was because of mutilation. Its face was so serene and peaceful; it just looked to be sleeping. If only its face were visible, it'd just look like it was down for a nap. Not dead.

Marie's eyes darted around the room, only to witness more horror. There were organs out in jars, preserved in formaldehyde, and organs not in jars or any sort of containment at all, just sitting out in the open to rot. Syringes of who knows what littered a specific counter place in the corner nearest her. There were several anatomy books all stacked on top of each other poorly, the one highest on the pile opened up to a picture of a woman with her entire muscular system exposed. He needed a reference.

Marie's eyes couldn't take anymore, and neither could her stomach. She backed out of the room, her legs moving on their own. Marie held back her stomach contents tightly, closing her throat as much as she could, but still allowing herself air to breathe.

"I told you, didn't I?" The same timid voice sounded again, and Marie looked in the direction of the dead sparrow. It was still there, on the bottom of the cage. Dead.

-------

After Marie had tried to venture around Patchwork Laboratory, looking for Stein, she eventually just gave up. He wasn't there. He had left, despite being under house arrest. Because it was a weekend, she didn't have to go to Shibusen to teach. Being alone in this big house that didn't belong to her made her feel cut off from the rest of the world. Sure, she could go outside, but she wanted to wait for Stein.

Where was he? She wanted to see him. She missed him. She'd be sure to yell at him when he returned. Scream at him in his ear for leaving when he wasn't supposed to. He had her worried!

Not to mention she'd probably be in trouble if he was caught. She'd reply with, "He was gone when I woke up!"

She was an early riser, and a pretty light sleeper too. Because they slept in the same bed, she _should_ have been able to sense him leaving, and would have woken up and prevented it some happening. It had been a few hours, but she decided she'd give him some time.

-------

The front door clicked open and clicked back into place as footsteps echoed in the hallways again. A trail of white-grey smoke curled around like a snake and followed. A man with rimless glasses walked in nonchalantly with his hands crammed into the pockets of his white lab coat. His hair was messier than usual, and he wore his standard detached expression. He thought it strange that this room was vacant. He expected Marie to be cooking or something. He wasn't hearing any sounds at all.

_Maybe she's just reading a book or something…_ He thought.

There was a feeling in the back of his mind that told him to go look for her. He wasn't too keen on the idea, but that feeling just wouldn't go away. It was like a nagging mosquito bite. Irritated, he sighed with himself and searched for her about the grey house.

After a few minutes, he found her, sitting in his bed curled up in a ball, her back pressed against the headboard. She must have heard him walk in, for she looked up, a little surprised and slightly dazed. "Stein?" She squeaked.

"Hn," He grumbled, as if to say 'yeah, what?'

Marie's face tightened up as she started to get up and crawled closer to him, glaring at him, though still on all fours. "Where the hell were you!?"

Stein fished out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. A white box with an 'X' printed on the front. "They're an imported brand, so I had to pick them up. The manager called earlier yesterday, but I wanted leave when you'd least expect it." He puffed out a grey cloud of smoke that curled around him like a slow tornado around his head. "Were you lonely?"

Marie shrank back and rearranged herself so she was sitting on the edge of the bed frame. She clasped her hands together and puffed out her cheeks, "N—not really…"

"What then?" Stein replied, awaiting a response of some sort. "You looked like you were ready to yell at me, what made you stop?"

"You had an explanation so…"

"So what?" He replied, using a tone that made it sound like _she_ was the one who left despite house arrest. "What could've happened if I had been caught?"

Marie opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when nothing came out. "I don't know, Stein…"

Stein sighed and brushed a hand through his hair, keeping it on one spot on his forehead. "Sorry, the lack of nicotine screwed me over. I'm fine now, see?" He smiled once, just to demonstrate that he had control over himself, then returned to a blank expression.

"But why were you gone the entire day?!" Marie defended herself, clenching her fists.

"I got lost," He admitted, pulling out the cigarette and puffed out another cloud of smoke, then placed it back in between his two lips. "It happens from time to time."

"But why?" Marie asked, clearly confused. "You live here! How could you possibly get lost!? My sense of direction is shit but I can get from here to Shibusen without much of a problem!"

Stein glared at her, "**I got lost**." He replied firmly, walking over to an ashtray beside his bed and snuffed his cancer stick out, twisting it with the same precision that he would cut bodies with.

Marie narrowed her eyes. Why wasn't she telling him? What did he do for the rest of the day that he really didn't feel like confiding in Marie? Was he just that much of a cold-hearted bastard, or did he just like to toy with her? She could never really tell anymore. "Stein…!" She narrowed her eyes and growled back, tightened her firsts.

He gave her a displeased look and pulled off his lab coat, setting it on a nearby chair. He sat on the rim of the bed frame with her and popped off his shoes, then pulled his sweater off from over his head. He left the clothes in a pile at the end of the bed and walked over to the bedside table, taking off his glasses and set them in their proper place for the night. "I'd like to get some sleep if you don't mind." He said, indicating that he wanted her to turn out the light beside her.

-----

Feh. I can tell that the next chapter will probably be REALLY long, which will make up for the other two chapters that will be shorter than average. : Pleeaseeeeee give me advice and last minute suggestions. I thrive on your words, FF. :3 Thanks for reading and reviewing, guys~


	7. First Born

Here's that psycho chapter I promised you~! n _ n I'm hoping that I can ask my friends for more ideas, because I'm running out. - c - Yeah. I'm rereading the manga to see if I can incorporate anymore events to lengthen my writing, but I'd be oh so joyful if anyone submits ideas! Oh, and memories and events kind of skip around here, and I know that. – w –lll So don't be confused. Yeah. I have no life. C: Thanks for reading~

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"Stein, what're you doing out here? You shouldn't be here." A familiar voice informed him in an impatient tone.

"What?" Stein replied. His sight came into focus. It was Spirit, glaring at him with his hands in his pockets. Stein was outside, and had been wandering around in Death City.

"What're you doing outside of your house, Stein? You're on house arrest…Get the hell back in your house before someone sees you!"

Stein looked a little tense himself, "Just shut up," He breathed, "I've got enough to worry about without you telling me I'm on house arrest. I already know that."

"Then go home!" Spirit replied impulsively, "I'm just saving you from potential trouble. Who knows what Shinigami-Sama'd do to you…He doesn't have the same patience as he used to."

Stein scoffed, "You think I care about _him?_ Do you know what it's like being cooped up in a box like that? It's hell! I haven't been able to pick up the cigarettes I ordered, so I don't really have any interest in whatever you have to say to me, Spirit!" He thundered, and turned swiftly away from his friend, white lab coat fluttering loudly.

"What about _me_…Stein?" A female voice asked provocatively.

Stein found himself dressed in white tuxedo in the ballroom at Shibusen—reserved for the school dances they had from time to time. It _was_ the dance today, wasn't it? There had been an announcement several weeks in advance that there'd be a dance to celebrate the age of Shibusen—it's birthday. Stein thought it rather silly, but because he was a teacher, he had to attend and act as a chaperone.

He was now dancing with the school's new nurse, a blonde-headed woman with rather golden eyes by the name of Medusa. She was dressed in a tight, but long, black dress that exposed most of her back. What crowd was she appealing to? The school _nurse _was dressed like this_?_

"I know what you are," Stein breathed in her ear, informing her that he knew well enough she was a witch. No one else suspected her but him. He knew, but most just thought he was joking. She'd also deny such claims, usually giving him a laugh and asked him if that was a form of sexual harassment.

Medusa sent him a strange smile, their dancing rhythm changing slightly, a quick spin, then a slow step here and there. "Oh?" She asked curiously.

"Yes," Stein replied rather seriously, "I can see right through you and your plans. You should leave Shibusen right now, witch. You'll only find death here."

Medusa gave him a small, yet coy, laugh, "You sound so sure of yourself. Why do you think so ill of me? I'm _only_ the new school nurse. Aren't other staff members supposed to welcome others? Or is this just a personal matter?"

Stein gave her a smirk of his own, "I can see it in your eyes. They're like mine," He replied, another side step, and she took a step closer to him.

"How?" She asked, anticipating his further answers. "Why do you insist I'm something I'm not?"

Stein reeled in close, to the point that their noses were touching slightly, their eyes locked. "That expression is malicious—like mine. No one in this world is of value to you; just pawns you use to obtain what you want. I was once like that, of course I know we're the same."

Medusa smiled slyly, "My, my, you're quite intuitive…Though about that last bit, why do you suspect me of being a witch?"

"I'm not Shibusen's best technician for nothing, you know."

"True enough," She nodded, their lips about to touch—

"Dr. Stein!" Maka cried, wearing an expression of sadness and anxiety, "Will Soul be okay?" The young technician was still greatly worried about her clash with the pink-haired Demon Blade, Chrona, and the wound that she left behind.

Stein nodded and gave her a small smile, "He'll be fine. The operation was a complete success. Just give him some rest and the wound will close completely."

Maka breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a thankful nod, rushing in to the room behind the scientist to visit her healing weapon.

Stein whipped out a cigarette and gently lit it, it fizzled quietly as he started walking down an empty hall. He felt a presence behind him, and turned around slowly.

"That expression was fake, Stein." Spirit said rather gravely.

"You know me too well, Spirit." Stein chuckled, taking a long drag.

"How can you lie to my daughter like that?" His voice was tense.

"It takes of years of practice, and an absence of morals, Spirit. You can't lie at all, which is what makes you a good person…" He trailed off, making sure that his weapon didn't get the last word. He liked it better that way.

----

Stein breathed in, clearing his head of the thoughts swimming around like piranhas in little fish bowl. His temples throbbed like he was experiencing a migraine. That nicotine addiction called to him, and he quickly lit a cigarette, to calm his nerves. It felt like ages since his last smoke. That smell most found rather foul smelled rather sweet to him. That smoke that curled around his head like a halo. He felt his headache recede and his muscle relax. Now his head was clear.

Though the question was, what was he doing outside of his house? He blinked for a moment; he didn't remember leaving in the slightest. Where had he gone to? No recollection whatsoever. Maybe he just popped out for a breath of fresh air and a smoke. That sounded rather plausible. He sighed to himself and knew that he should probably be getting back inside. He was, after all, still placed under house arrest and even something trivial like just stepping outside could get him arrested. In addition, Marie would probably start worrying right about now, and then that might get out of control as well.

He took another long drag from the cancer stick and walked to his front door, twisting the ever familiar screw doorknob he had placed on there himself. Strange, he thought. It wouldn't open. Marie didn't lock the doors, and neither did he. Most people were rather intimidated by Stein, and wouldn't even bother to venture out to the little alcove he called home. He patted his lab coat pockets in frustration. Maybe he had the key to his house somewhere. Figures. Nope. No key.

_Knocking on my own front door, now that's pathetic._

More agitated at himself than anything else, he gave a few swift knocks and waited impatiently for Marie to open the door. He heard footsteps scurrying over to the front door. _Bout time._ The thick grey door creaked open rather loudly, but it wasn't someone Stein was expecting to see.

A little boy with dark sandy blond hair stood in the doorway, with rather dark brown eyes and a solemn expression. Stein assumed he was probably about five or six years old, but what the hell was he doing in this house? Stein had no idea who this kid was. "Who're _you?_" Stein asked angrily, ready to shove the kid out of the way to get into his own house.

The little boy stood his ground, "No strangers!" He yelled back. "Who are you…?" He asked quietly some time afterwards.

"I live here," Stein said, "That's all you need to know."

The little boy looked annoyed, but said nothing to the scientist. He turned around, and looked into the rest of the house, still rooted to the doorframe. "Mommy!" He shouted, "There's someone weird at the door!"

_Tch…What a brat._

"Who is it, Modi?" A familiar voice called, a female figure emerging out of the shadows and into the light of the sun. "Did you ask his name politely, Modi? You should let Mommy answer the door next time you might not know how dangerous the outside world…can be."

The blonde woman at the front of the door dropped her cup of tea, which crashed to the floor and scattered into several big chucks of sharp ceramic material. She wore an eye patch with a memorable lightning bolt insignia and had soft curly golden blonde hair. "S—Stein!?" She whispered hoarsely, clearly awestruck.

Stein looked at her rather strangely. She looked a little bit older than he remembered. Not much, though. She still retained that beauty that she held onto so tightly in their Shibusen days. "What, Marie?" He asked her, like it was no big deal. "This brat won't let me in, who the hell locked the door on me?"

"Stein!" She screeched with joy, running up to him and wrapped her arms around his throat, burying her face into his shoulder. Tears overflowed and she was smiling, holding him tighter with each passing moment. "Marie," He tried to push her away, not used to this closeness. What was with her? He'd only been out for a moment. What was the deal?

"Stein…is it really you?" she sobbed with joy.

"Of course!" He responded, "Who else do you know has a giant screw lodged in his brain?"

She released her tremendous bear hug on him and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, and sniffled a little. "Where've you been!?" She grinned, her voice still a little weak.

"I just went out for a smoke, is all…" He responded nonchalantly. His olive eyes drifted down to the 'little brat' clinging to Marie. "Who's the kid? He's a pest…"

"Stein…!" Marie glared at him lightly. She gave the small child a push so that he was now in front of her and not hiding behind her. He still wore that angry little expression. "This is Modi Stein, your son." The small child's expression remained unchanging, lips scrunched up and eyebrows furrowed.

"Son?" Stein laughed in denial. "That's a good one, Marie." He smirked, his smile fading quickly when her golden eyes told him it wasn't a joke. It was the truth. Stein's facial expression tightened, "What do you mean, 'son'?"

Marie looked away and paused, "D...Do you remember that night? You seemed completely normal that day…It already seemed like we were married, but when I woke up the next morning, you just weren't there. It's been six years, Stein. I was pregnant."

Stein's expression warped again and he pounded a fist on the doorframe loudly, which startled both Marie and Modi, "Heh, how the hell'd that cliché happen to me?"

"As clichéd as it might be, Stein," Marie looked a little defensive, "It's the truth. He's your son; you shouldn't just turn him away like that."

"Why does he have my last name and not yours? We're not married."

Marie opened her mouth, but closed it again. "I thought that because he was our son, he should have his father's last name. It fits on him, don't you think?" She smiled and said their son's name aloud, "Modi Stein. It sounds better than Modi Mjӧlnir, doesn't it?"

Already, Stein knew he wouldn't like this little bundle of joy that belonged to him. Modi didn't seem so keen on accepting his father, either. Marie was just trying to unite two feuding parties in an endless war. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, Marie?" Stein demanded. "I would have liked to known that I'd end up with a six-year-old son the next time I come home."

"You've been gone!" Marie protested. "Everyone thought you'd ended up with Medusa or Ashura or something…" Her voice grew dim, "Everyone thought you died…"

Stein let out a sigh and extinguished his cigarette, and threw it carelessly outside, "I'd like in to my own house, if you don't mind." He said snappily, brushing aside his lover and bastard of a son. "This is a joke," He muttered to himself, rubbing his forehead with a palm as he eased into a swivel chair in his office.

He looked around, everything had changed. All of the things he had that were once there had been moved into brown cardboard boxes in the corners, with black marker labels like "Stein's books" and "Stein's papers". Only the stitched green and white swivel chair remained the same. His computer had been moved somewhere else and the bookshelves containing his important anatomy and studies of various organs and the chemistry along with them were replaced with children's books. Colorful, silly and useless.

There were lots of pictures in picture frames of Marie and Modi on Stein's desk, and a few old pictures of Stein. One was a little recent, but the rest were from when he attended Shibusen with Marie. He didn't really look like he was actually posing for those shots, so Marie must have been snapping quick shots when she was infatuated with him. There were a few group shots of the crowd of friends; Spirit, Stein, Kami, Marie, Asuza, Sid and Nygus. There were a few baby pictures of Modi as well, one of them was a bath scene were Modi was submerged in the water with the small tuft of dark sandy blond hair all pulled up into a little unicorn horn sticking straight up on the top of his round head. He looked ridiculous, but Stein couldn't help but laugh a little.

It was evident from the rearrangement of this room that Marie thought he wouldn't be coming back. He noted the boxes, though, which meant she still had the few bits of hope left. The sound of Marie picking up the ceramic shards of the cup she had dropped dispelled his trance. Stein let out another sigh, still just wanting this to all be a bad dream.

Marie finally had a child like she wanted, but he knew she had to feel empty somewhere. She wanted a _family_, not just a parasite that Stein had bumped off to her one night he was feeling frisky. She seemed to be strong, and a caring mother, but Stein knew that what Marie appeared to be did not always guarantee her genuine feelings. She probably ached that he wasn't around to help her. Where _had_ he been those past six years? There was just some void in his memory. Some black hole.

Stein's thoughts were interrupted again when he saw the little boy wander into the room, hiding a bit behind one of the walls with the angered expression still etched on to his childish face. Stein felt his stare, and turned around. "What do you want?" He asked rather impatiently. He wouldn't like this kid if the kid didn't like him.

"I hate you." The kid mumbled.

Stein folded his arms, "I can't hear you when you mumble. Get over here and talk to me if you want me to listen."

"You can't be my daddy." The boy said a little louder. "My daddy would have been there when Mommy needed him. You _can't_ be him. No way."

Stein shook his head, "If me not being here for the first six years of your small little life is going to make you hate me, you've got a lot of life learning to do, Modi."

"Don't call me that!" The boy snapped, emerging from his post that was partially hidden by a wall. He balled his little fists and furrowed his brow again.

"Call you what?" Stein asked, raising a grey brow. "Your name? Marie gave it to you, why can she call you that but not me?"

Marie walked in with a weak smile on her face, "Be nice, Stein…Please."

Stein closed his mouth and eased back in his chair. Marie turned to their son, Modi. She knelt down to his level, "Now Modi," she said in a calm voice, "You have to be nice to your Daddy, okay?"

"He's not my daddy." Modi muttered.

"Why do you think he's not?" Marie asked, placing her hands on his small shoulders.

"Because he's not." Modi replied, continuing to be a stubborn little brat. "Why have I never met Daddy before? He's supposed to be here, _always_, Mommy!"

"Sshhhh," Marie whispered softly, trying to keep her expressive son under control. "Daddy was gone for a long time. Mommy didn't get to see him either, so you two should just get along, okay?"

Modi folded his arms and huffed, "Hmph!"

Marie narrowed her eyes at him, and stood up to make herself a little bit more intimidating, "…Modi!"

Modi bowed his head in surrender, "Sorry, Mommy."

"Now, Modi," Marie began again, "Mommy and Daddy are going to be talking for a long time, so you go to your room, and I'll tell you when you can come out, okay?"

"I…" Modi sounded ready to cry, "You mean I have to go to my room?"

Marie quickly gave her son a reassuring smile, "Just for a little bit, okay? Nothing bad will happen."

Modi hesitated, but eventually agreed and reluctantly mumbled, "Okay…" And tromped off into the direction of his own room in Stein's vast grey house of concrete and metal.

Marie heaved a giant sigh and wandered over to the same purple couch that Stein remembered; she bought it and brought it into his house when she first moved in. "Sometimes, I wonder if I'm just raising him wrong…"

Stein knew that tone of voice she was using. She needed to be comforted, she was weak. He got up slowly and sat beside her on the couch. She curled up beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Why did you just disappear? I was so lonely without you…and then I found out I was pregnant, and you were still nowhere to be found…"

Stein just wrapped a hand around her head; he could feel one of her ears through her hair. "I'm sorry," He whispered gently, "But I myself don't even know where I've been."

"It's been so hard raising him by myself…I need you Stein. You have to help me. He has no friends and he doesn't want to go outside at all. He always wants me with him, he hates being alone…Am I just a bad mother?" She asked feebly.

"Stop blaming yourself," Stein told her, "My mother disappeared when I was very small, and then my father just vanished out of thin air. You're a great mother, and I'm sure Modi'll turn out fine. Just stop worrying."

Marie smiled, feeling a great weight being removed from herself. She breathed in slowly, "I really did miss you Stein. Even if Modi was never born, I would still need you with me. I really have tried moving on when you rejected me earlier, but it was never really the same…I finally am your weapon now, Franken Stein." She giggled lightly, tilting her head slightly upwards to gently kiss his exposed neck.

"Honestly, I never dreamed of being a parent." Stein said quietly. "It just seemed too far away of an idea for me. I never even really dreamed of getting married. It was too much of a stretch for me. It's unreal that anyone would put up with me; I'm violent, solitary, psychotic, and unreliable. Nowhere near Perfect Father material. Whereas you are a perfect mother; kind, firm and gentle."

Marie smirked lightly and let out another little sigh through her nose, "Sometimes I asked myself 'what did I ever see in Stein?', but I knew that you needed someone to heal you. You were like the defected toy sitting on the shelf that everyone passes over because you're not like the rest. You just needed to be sewn correctly, that's all."

"It's unimaginable," Stein muttered slowly to himself.

"What is?" Marie asked, looking up at his green-grey eyes.

"That kid is me."

"Hn?" Marie asked, a little confused.

"I acted just like him, only not as clingy. I can already tell he'll be a lot like me, so you'll have to keep a close eye on him, okay? There doesn't need to be a repeat in my history."

"Of course I will, Stein!"

"I'm nothing like you!" A childish voice screamed. Both Marie and Stein's attentions were directed to their son, hiding behind a wall. They had left their guard down, and the mischievous little son of theirs had eavesdropped on their entire conversation.

"Modi!" Marie got up quickly and rushed towards him, "Don't be so angry, just give him time. You haven't even given him a chance, you just met him!"

Modi took a step back, little tears overflowing. His teeth were gritted and his hands were balled up into tight fists. "I hate him," He forced out, "Don't try to make me like him. I'll be nothing like him!" He screamed at his mother, and took off, moving with a quicker speed than anticipated for someone of his age. The front door slammed loudly and Marie just sighed. Stein got up from his seat, a little alarmed. He glanced at Marie, "Does that happen often?"

"Third time this week," She admitted. She placed a palm on her forehead. "Can you go get him for me please?" She looked up at him, pleading with her eyes. "Maybe if _you_ talk to him, he'll forgive you. He won't seem to listen to me…"

"Fine," Stein agreed with a slight nod, "Where exactly would he be? I don't know where or what the runt likes…"

"Try in an alleyway," Marie suggested, "He doesn't like to be found, so he picks obscure places."

Stein headed towards the door with Marie in tow, "I'll be back in a bit, and I'll have Modi with me."

Marie gave him a sort of worried smile, "Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble!" She called after him as Stein left Patchwork Laboratory to look for his first born child that despised him.

----

Feh. = c = How was that? I named their son Modi because Modi is the younger and lesser known of Thor's two sons. Thor has a hammer (named Mjӧlnir) and I kind of thought that it'd be a good name for something around there. = 3 = Also (for the next chapter) Modi is the god of battle and wrath, and sometimes his followers would take drugs to enhance battling skills and to stifle fear. So now that I have a few ideas, ya see where I'm going with this? ;D


	8. Reoccuring

Optimus/Kid, thanks so much for the suggestion~ :D I love you, no srsly. You're fabulous. About the typos, I'm rly blind. I wear glasses and I have poorer eyesight than both of my glasses-wearing parents combined. Please forgive me. I try to spot them, but my blindness is in the way. = w = Thank you for being understanding and using context clues to know what I'm babbling about. Now read and review, plz~ :3

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_He was strapped down to an iron board with brown leather belts. He couldn't move. He couldn't writhe or squirm. His feet, knees, waist, wrists, torso and neck had all been belted down to this flat, cold surface. He couldn't wriggle free at all. He was trapped, and his heart raced insanely. He felt something warm dribble out of his eyes and trickled into his mouth, but he couldn't wipe the tears away. His tears stung, but he didn't know why. His breathing was frantic and with that belt crushing his trachea, it was rather hard to breathe as well._

_"F—Father!" He screamed. "Father, what are you doing to me!?"_

_It was a young Stein, only 13 years of age. His father had summoned him into his lab to conduct further research, but wouldn't tell Stein exactly what kind of research it was. 'It's something you need to help me with, Franken', his father had said on the way there. 'It's something very important, and regards your future as a technician.'_

_His father held something metallic in his hands. It looked like a charcoal-colored metal rod of some sort. What was its purpose, and why did it involve Stein being strapped down? His father had a warped grin on, unable to control the small stream of laughter that escaped through his teeth. "This'll greatly improve your abilities as a technician, Franken, don't worry." His father explained. "Haven't you ever wondered why there's a giant nail lodged into my neck?"_

_Stein froze for a moment. Yes, he had noticed it there countless times, but had never said anything about it. Knowing his father, Stein didn't want to ask. He didn't want to know the horrors behind that dreaded tale that he could only imagine. There was a giant nail, a big bigger than an inch thick, lodged into his father's neck. One tip was sharpened, the other quite rounded. What use was that to him? How did this improve his abilities as a technician? How did it get there? So many questions formed in his adolescent mind as he cowered in fear._

_"My father put it in my neck when I turned 13, Franken, just as you have only a few short days ago. He discovered that greatly heightened the ability to resonate and it will perfect that 'Soul Purge' attack I taught you."_

_"I—I don't want it!" Stein yelled back at his father. "I don't! I don't want that thing to be in me!"_

_His father's manic expression drooped, "Why not?" He said through gritted teeth. _

_"It's unnatural!"_

_His father scoffed, "Pfft, that's all?" He tightened his grip on the rod and took a step closer towards his son, who cringed. "You're afraid of a little power? YOU'RE the unnatural one, Franken. All of us Steins are…We're descendants from a Kishin who lived more than 200 years ago. The insanity still hasn't left us, and this'll be your mark to prove that you're a Stein. You won't need to depend on anyone with this, Franken! You'll be ahead of everyone else, you'll be incomparable. Why would you want to reject superiority?"_

_"You're insane!" Stein protested, screaming as loud as he could muster with that strap tightly pressing against his windpipe, like hands forcefully clutching his neck to choke him. He could see that certain vicious glint in his father's dark grey eyes. He started to walk slowly around the metal board Stein was strapped to. With each step, Stein's heart raced a little faster._

_His father smirked, "So are you." He said in a sort of malicious whisper._

_Stein didn't have enough time to breathe in before his father quickly lodged the rod into his brain. Two areas in his skull had been broken, and his brain had been pierced by this metallic rod. Blood spurted out rather quickly, seeping into his dark grey hair. Thick and sticky from fresh blood. And that sound that he had heard. Oh, that horrid sound. It was his skull cracking. It reverberated in his head, and he only heard the sound of his heart in his ears. Thum. Thum. Thum. That heightened sound screaming at him wildly. He knew this would be how he'd die. He couldn't have any hope of living with THIS thing in his head…But then, how did his father manage to survive with that nail in his neck? That must have gone through his windpipe and esophagus, and not to mention many important arteries and veins connected to his heart and brain. _

_Stein's brain was completely overloaded with pain, though he hadn't passed out yet. All he could do was scream his lungs out and let waterfalls of tears erupt from his eyes like blue volcanoes. Involuntarily, his limbs started to flail around as his screams continued. His father knew beforehand that he'd need to be strapped down. He couldn't break free. Still struggling, though it was entirely useless._

_His father was far from finished with this 'operation' though. There was also a head to the screw, but his father hadn't bothered to fuse the two just yet. His father's bloody palm held Stein's head to the back of the board, preventing him from moving too much and further damaging his tender nervous system. In his right hand, he held the head of the screw, and while Stein was rather still at this point, connected the two pieces. With quick reflexes, his father had placed a hand on the new screw and used his wavelength to fuse the two pieces together. _

_It had solidified after a minute or so. Stein's father removed his hands and stared at his son for a moment. Stein was shaking hysterically and his bottom lip quivered constantly. His eyes were wide and pupils contracted in pain and fear. Tears were still streaming from his eyes. His father stared at his only child like a lab rat who was given the duty to determine whether or not something was fatal. _

_"You turn it like this," Father instructed the unresponsive son, taking the grey screw in his hand and twisted it back, sending some of the electrical currents in his brain to other parts of his body and to his soul. Stein's clawing hands buzzed a bit like a shorted out electrical appliance, and bits of static traveled and darted around. "See?" He smiled._

_Stein did nothing at all to respond. _

_"I'll come and get you in a few hours," His father said carelessly, turning towards the door, "You're already strapped there, so it's not like you'll be moving anytime soon. Try to tell the rest of your body not to reject that new foreign object in your skull. It could get pretty messy in here if you do." He smirked deviously and shut the door to his lab, leaving his only son held down on that board in the dark, feeling as though he'd die from the pain alone at any moment._

_Stein's felt like his throat would collapse. He used all the remaining energy he had just to keep breathing. Everything hurt so much. He was mystified as he hadn't passed out. Maybe there was something his father had given him previously. A drug? Perhaps, it sounded like his father. "F—Fa…" Stein tried to utter, "Fa—…ther. He…He…Hel…Help."_

------

"Modi!" Stein called loudly, trying to locate the son that he never wished had happened. He didn't see any children at all. While he had been gone who-knows-where for six years, Death City had become sort of a rundown place. Of course, he could still see Shibusen in all of its prestigious glory not far away, but the suburbs were most of the students lived looked shabby and neglected. Litter and rats collected up in alleyways and he could hear the shrieks of mangy cats as he passed them.

There! He saw two little blurs cross his path. Both were of children, one that was obviously female, and the other a male. The little girl had dark black hair and a pale face. The boy he recognized to be his own son. The two were holding hands in an effort to stay at the same pace while running quickly.

"C'mon, Esuba!" Modi yelled at the little girl. "He'll catch us if we're not fast enough!"

"Modi," The girl cried rather helplessly, "You're hurting my wrist!"

And the two ran off into an alleyway. For being as small as they were, they were strangely speedy. Stein took off after the two, running quite briskly himself. He rounded the corner to the passage that the two children had managed to slink off into. "Modi!"

Instead of the two children he had anticipated seeing, he saw a young man of about 16 or so with dark blond hair and malicious brown-grey eyes. Beside him was a feeble girl with her dark hair pulled into two big pigtails on the back of her hair that stuck out wildly. Stein assumed that the two were at least relatively close in age, but this girl seemed so much younger than the boy, maybe 12 or something of that sort. Her eyes were strange, very strange indeed. One eye was of a milky-white variety, while the other was a turquoise blue, though the white eye was slightly covered by her long black bangs.

"What do you want?" The boy seethed angrily. Between his lips was a thin cigarette gently hissing with smoke that curled around his head, floating about him like some sort of divine halo.

Stein was at a loss of what to say. This boy looked remarkably like Modi, though couldn't have possibly aged 10 years in the time Stein managed to turn a corner. Stein opened his mouth to say something, but closed his again. He eyed the small girl beside him who shrank behind him timidly. The boy clicked his tongue, and within a flash of red light, his right arm turned into a rounded blade similar to the head of a scalpel. "Get the hell away from her." He said forcefully, gritting his teeth.

Stein took a step back, surprised at how quickly this boy overreacted. He should get to the point; he wouldn't want Marie waiting (for him to return with Modi) endlessly. "I'm looking for a six-year-old named Modi."

"Why?" Was all the weapon replied with, keeping the blade raised high.

"He ran away from me; I'm his father."

The boy grinned wickedly, "You've left us yet again, eh, Dad?" He chuckled, his arm warping back to just a regular limb.

Stein blinked, "What?"

"Some 'Father' you are to me, Stein." Modi spat, "You've ditched us again. This time, it's been ten years. Where the hell do you go? And how have you managed to not age? It's been a while, ya know."

Stein blinked stupidly again. _What? Ten years?_ He had done another 'evaporation' which he had no memory of doing so? All he did was turn a corner, but somehow he had managed to skip ten years of his life? _HOW_!?

Stein said nothing and tried to regain a serious expression, "So you're a weapon I see…" His eyes darted over to the girl, "She's your technician, I assume?" The pair seemed very unlikely. Modi seemed too overpowering for a frail little thing such as her.

"Yeah," He replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her close, "She's my technician, Esuba."

"What's with her?" Stein asked, "Can she speak?"

The girl nodded once, though Modi spoke for her, "She doesn't like to talk much. She saves her voice for her singing."

Stein rolled his eyes and decided that she was unimportant, and switched topics of conversation, "What bout Marie, is she waiting at Patchwork Laboratory for me?"

Modi shook his head twice and blew out a cloud of smoke from his cigarette. "Nah, she left three years ago to continue patrolling Oceania. Shinigami-Sama said it was about time she went back there. She just got sick of waiting for you to show up, but you never did. I live there now, with Esuba."

Stein let out a sigh. He was asking too much of Marie to keep waiting for him, even if he didn't know how or why he left. He felt sorry for her; deep down, she was probably resenting this child. She probably never wanted him to happen either, at least, not like this. An abortion for someone like Marie was totally out of the question. She could never live with herself if she had.

Stein's train of thought changed again. _He lives with his technician?_ Well, that wasn't all that uncommon, now that he thought about it. The pair of weapon and technician usually live in the same house or ridiculously close to one another. What slightly annoyed him though is that they had decided to live in _his_ house, Patchwork Laboratory. Couldn't they've picked some other location? There were some things and places that Stein didn't want Modi tampering with. This little bastard proved to be more than Marie could handle, and Stein could only imagine what kinds of trouble he got into.

Though he would admit he started smoking at an early age, he was rather put off that his son had picked up the nasty habit as well. Had Stein been a short influence, or was his son like a mirror of himself?

Modi looked displeased, "So do you actually plan on staying in one place now, or are you going to disappear for another five to ten years again?" He breathed out another cloud of smoke, acting all superior and smug in front of Esuba. "Personally," He said with a cackle, "I don't _care_ if I ever see you again. You've not been much help to me or Mom anyway. It's best you just get the hell away from us." He said, glaring at Stein, then pushed him out of the way, their shoulders ramming against each other roughly. Esuba trotted after Modi like a lemming, "Wait, Modi." She squeaked. "He may be able to help us."

Modi glared back at his technician, ripping his wrist free of her delicate grasp. "Help us with what? He couldn't help Mom, what makes you think he can help us?"

Esuba paused for a moment, and sighed a little. "I researched your family like you asked me to a while ago," She said lightly, in her feathery voice.

"And what? What did you find?"

"He's not as useless as you say he is," Her thin lips curved upwards to form a faint smile, "He dealt with the witch, Medusa. Remember her?"

"Of course I do!" Modi said in a huffy tone. "She keeps invading my thoughts."

Stein looked a little confused, "What do you mean by that?"

Modi looked at his father like he was some kind of village idiot, "While _you_ where who-knows-where, Medusa came back a few times to look for you. She needed you for whatever reason, she'd never tell me why. She never talked to Mom, but she'd come and ask me things. She still has that child's body, you know. She used magic to prevent the girl to age. Quite an advantage, actually." Modi shrugged lightly.

Stein glared angrily at Modi, "You should never have talked to that witch!"

"Mom always told me 'make friends'," Modi smiled arrogantly. "It just happened that one of my friends was a witch." He glanced in Esuba's direction for just a moment, "No, I take that back, two of my friends are witches." He laughed lightly, "Have a problem with that?"

Stein put two and two together. He smiled lightly as well shaking his head twice, "I should have known. That eye was rather suspicious. So your technician is a witch?"

Modi didn't reply to Stein's question. "We're taking our _own_ path, Stein. I don't need parental approval for me to choose my own path in life. I'm using this witch as my technician, because no one wants the kind of power I seek but her."

Esuba smiled rather eerily, her eyes closing half-way and looked remarkably like a life-sized doll. "The power of a Kishin." She whispered to herself, "I'd be a commonplace name in the witch world if I held a Kishin at my power, you know." She said rather calmly, nodding once at Stein.

"Modi, no!" Stein roared at his son, grabbing him by the shoulders and shook him vigorously. "Did your little witch there do any research on my great-grandfather? Hmm!? Does she know what happened to him!? Do you know that _WE_ are direct descendants of a Kishin!? If power is what you desire, I'll pierce your heart with a pin like my father impaled me with a screw! Like my grandfather did to him with a nail!" He continued to shout, clearly enraged by his son's poor choices.

Modi laughed haughtily, "You're a little late for that, 'Dad'. I've already eaten more than seventy human souls. Only twenty more and I _will_ become a Kishin."

Stein relaxed, and released his grip from his son. He stood there stupidly. How warped his son had become. Marie raised this child? How? Marie would have been the perfect mother, and maybe there didn't even need to be a father for her to raise the perfect child. How did little Modi Stein, timid and distant, age to become this monster?

This boy continued to remind him more of himself. If he was a weapon, he probably would have sought to become a Kishin. But Spirit was the weapon, and was a pretty good-natured guy. He'd never agree to become a Kishin. But here was his son, using his witch of a technician to become a Kishin.

"So you _really_ do side with the witches, hah?" Stein muttered to himself.

He imagined his son would be something like Chrona. Poor little Chrona. Because of her mother, she had stepped onto the path of the Kishin, but had tried to amend her ways when she became a trial student at Shibusen. She had Maka to help her, like there was Spirit to help Stein. Modi didn't have a person to help him. By the sound of things, the only friend he had was this weakling witch. But then again, maybe looks were deceiving. Stein didn't know any of her powers, but her Soul Protect must have been honed over time. It could be that protecting her soul was her only strong suit.

Medusa was an immensely powerful witch, but Stein could still feel traces of that aura that only a witch possessed radiating out of her like the sun. Although, if it was Modi that had decided to make her his technician, she'd have to be stronger. Stein knew first-hand that both technician and weapon want their other half to be powerful. Spirit had a rather weak personality, but what he lacked in social relations, he make up for in endurance. Pathetic as he was, Spirit was a reliable weapon.

He cringed to see the kind of power his son held within him. He knew that eating innocent human souls could make weapons stronger than eating the eggs of a Kishin, though Shibusen considered it to be a sin. Haven eaten more than 70 souls, Modi was probably unbelievably strong for his age.

Stein didn't like this reality. As curious as he was to see his son's power, he didn't want to hear that his son joined the witches' side. This all _had_ to be a dream. Or at least something of the sort. Maybe Stein should leave this life behind and move to Australia, where he could at least apologize to Marie. Modi was old enough to take care of himself, and if he wanted to become a Kishin, then Stein decided it was his choice to. Arguing with him would be useless, Marie already proved that.

He just shook his head once and turned around on his heel, trying to leave the alley. He felt a hand on his shoulder, "Just there the hell do you think you're going?" Modi asked him in a snide tone.

"Home," He glowered, pushing Modi's hand off of him.

As he walked away, he could still hear Modi and Esuba chatting. "Though he will protest, he seems to know a lot. We should keep him around. He said something about a pin, do you know about that?"

"If you impale vital your vital points with a metallic object, your abilities strengthen. I found one of Ein's old books in one of Stein's rooms. It doesn't matter if you're a weapon or a technician, it does more than triple your power."

"You might want to arrange that with him, Modi…"

"Tch. He probably was just talking to shut me up. I doubt he'd keep his word. He never does. "

Stein retraced his steps to Patchwork Laboratory. At least the exterior of his house hadn't changed any. The dead trees were still uncared for and make his house look ever so ominous. The gloomy atmosphere that had enshrouded his house hadn't left one bit. Thick clouds almost always seemed to be gently hovering over the roof. He clicked open the door, it wasn't locked. He figured that since Marie left, Modi would never lock the door. The bastard was too conceited, it'd all eventually come back to him.

He sighed a great sigh and ruffled his hair, taking of his rimless glasses for a moment and rubbed his eyes. Today had been unbelievable. All he wanted to do was just pass out on a couch and fall into a coma. He walked into where his office had once been; maybe the room had reassembled itself when Marie had left?

He flicked on a light, gazing at the room. All of the picture frames had been taken down. In their place were the same old books and scattered papers that Stein remembered. The bookshelves were depleted and rather disheveled by this point, but it had, after all, been 16 years.

Everything was fine and dandy. Well, not quite. His grey-green eyes floated over to a woman sitting in this green-and-white stitched chair with her legs crossed and a sly smile on her face. Panic surged through him as he saw a child's body leaning against the edge of the desk.

"Medusa!?" He shouted, entirely appalled.

"Ah," She smiled lightly, "You remembered me, that's good."

"What the _hell_ are you doing in my house, Medusa! Get out of here." He shouted through gritted teeth.

"Ahw," She sighed playfully, rising to her feet and wandered over to him, pressing herself against his chest. "Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"We were never friends." Stein replied coldly.

One of her black-nailed hands gently caressed his face, "My, Stein, you haven't changed a bit." Her golden eyes flickered for a moment. "It seems that hammer woman…Maria was it?"

"Marie," Stein corrected her.

"Yes, her," Medusa said calmly, taking Stein's glasses off as to see his eyes clearly. "She's out of the picture now. You've got no one here. Why not come with me? After all these years, I'll still welcome you." She smiled gently, giggling lightly.

---

Bahhhhh. D: Oh yeah, little kid body in the corner is supposed to be that Rachel kid. FYI. Oh, and Ein is Stein's dad. Lol, Ein Stein. You knew it had to happen. ;D So yah, some SteinxMedusa happening here, though I don't really like the pairing. Just deal for now. Geev me more ideas? D: Running out soon, MAN. So yeah. Peace out.


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